The Fifth Leicestershire

TE FIFTtt
LEICESTERSHIRE.

191-1919.

FIFTH

THE
LEICESTERSH IRE.

A record of the
1/5th Battalion the Leicestershire Regiment, T.F.,
during the War,
1914--1919.

C,Pa',N J. D. HILLS,
M.C., Croix de Guerre.

With an introduction by
LT.-Co-oNE- C. H. JONES,
C.M.G., T.D., Légion d'onneur (officier).

LOUGHBOROUGH.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED AT THE ECHO I'RESS.
99.

THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.
XVII.
5.

To
COLONEL HIS GRACE DUKE OF RUTLAND, K.G.,
who tas wa6hed over us and lived with us
in all out losses and in all out joys,
liais book is gratefully dedioeed.

PREFACE.

No liter.arv merit is claimed for this book. It is
intended to be a diarv of our progress as a Battalion
since mobilisation until the signing of peace, and the
return of the Colours to Loughborough. I have
written the first chapter, the remainder, incl.uding the
maps, has been donc bv Captain J. 1). Hills.
This is scarcelv the place to attempt an estimate of
vhat the members of out Countv Territorial Force
Association, individuallv and collectively, have done for
the 5th Leicestershire Regiment. \Ve would merely
place this on record, that there has ever been one keen
feeling of bmtherhood unilin K us ail, from Presiden.t
or Cairman, to the latest joined recruit or humblest
member of the regiment, whether activelv engaged on
the battlefield, or just as activeh" engaged at home.
Never bas the Executive Cmmittee failed us. And
to 5[ajor C M. Serjeantson, O.B.E., we would offer
a special tribute for his untiring work, wondefful powers
of organisation and grasp of detail, and hearty good
fellowship at ail rimes.
To the men of the regiment we hope that the incidents
which we narrate here will recall great rimes we spent
together, and serve as a framework on which to weave
other stories too numerous for the short space of one
book.
C. H. JONES.

MEADHURST,
I rPPINGHAM,
Sept., r9r 9.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.

THE following 1»arrative is based mainlv on the
Regimental XYar Diarv. For the test, mv thanks are
due to Lt.-Co,lo.nels C. H. Jones, C..I.G., T.I)., and
J. Ll. Griffitbs, D.S.O., Major C. Bland, T.I)., Captains
D. B. Petch, M.C., J. R. Brooke, M.C., and A. D.
Pierrepont, and R.Q.M.S. R. Gorse, .I.S.M., for
sending me ro,tes and anecdotes; to Captains G. E.
Banwell, M.C., and C. S. Allen, Corpl. J. Lincoln, and
L/Corpl. A. B. Law, for taking me round tbe battle-
fields and explaining the Lens fighting of 1917; to
2nd Lieut. G. H. Griffiths, for supplying me with many
o.f th,e battle-field photographs; to ail officers, N.C.O.'s
an.d men of the Bat-talion xxho have alxvays been ready
t aJaswer my questions and to give me information;
to Major D. Hill, M.C., Brigade Majo.r, for the lo.an
o.f his Brigade documents; and la.tlv to Mr. Deakin of
Loughbo.rough, for undertaking the publica.tion of this
book and fo,r giving toit so much time and personal
ea re.
j. D. HILLS.
16, SOMER5ET ST.,
LONDON, W. 1.

Sekt., z99.

CONTENTS.

CI4A PTER PAGE.
1. ENGLANO 1
_o. EARLY EXPERIENCIES 16
3. TUE SALIENT 39
[. HOHENZOLLERN ï0
5. FLANDERS IIuD TO THE IEDITERRANEAN 90
6. THE VlMV RIDGE 106
7. GOMECOUnT 127
8. lkloNCHY AU BOIS 1[5
9. GOIMECOUnT AGAIN 163
10. LNs ......... 179
11. HLL 65 ...... 196
12. ST. ELIE LEFT 206
l-'. CAMBRIN RIGHT .. 227
1L GORRE AND ESSARS A PEACE 253
15. GORRE AND ESSARS AT XVAR -067
16. PONTRUET 279
lï. CnossiN Tan C«L 298
]8. FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL VxrOODS 325
19. THE LAST FIGHT ...... 35.9
20. HOME A6Atn ......... 372
APPENDIX.
1. OFFICERS, FEB., 1915 376
Il. Horouns ......... 377
III. THE CAon, 1919 ......... 379

ILLUSTRATIONS.

I. OFFICERS, 1914 (Frontispiece).
2. R.S.M.s S.MALL AND LOVETT,
R.Q.M.S. GORSE
4. HOHENZOLLERN .'X IEMoRIAL
5. 'ERMELLES VATER TOWER
(3. LENS FROM THE AIR
7. OFF1CERS AT -'IARQUEFFLES ...
8. RED IILL AXD RtAt'.XlOXT HLL
1. HOHENZOLLERN CRATES, 1917 ...
10. C.tPAxv HEADQt'ARTERS, LotSXE,
(()RRE CNAL
l 1. POXTRt ET ...
12. LIra'T. J. C. B_XRRETT, tJ.oE. -
1;}. THE CI)RE AT LOU(;HOROt'GH

AND

PAGE.

34
35
50
51
130
131
146
14/"

322
323
338
339

MAPS.

1. 'PRES |)lSTRICT
"2. BETHUNE DISTRICT ...
:]. ATT.Xt'K ON GO.XltXlECOURT, 1/7/16
4. IoNcHV DISTRICT
5. LENS i)ISTRICT ...
6. AçT.«K oxl'oxTRCET, _/./'»4'9 18 ...
7. ADV*XCE, 4./9/1S to 11/11/18

PAGE.
82
130
15J,
190
... 2S6
31t & 315

CHAPTER 1.

ENGLAND.
4th Aug., 1914. 25t, h Feb., 1915.
THE Territorial Force, foundcd in 1908, undoubtedlv
attracted manv mon who had hot dcvoted themselves
previously to militarv training, nevcrtheless it took
character and tone from men wh.o had scen long service
in the old Volunteer Force. Hence, those who created
the Territorial Force did nothing more than re-organise,
and build upon xxhat alreadv cxisted. In the 5th
Leicestershire Regiment therc crossed with .us to France
men who had over 30 vears' service. At the outbreak
of war in 191t, R.O.M.S. Stimson could look back on
36 vears of service, and, amongst other accomplish-
ments he spoke French fluently. Other names that
occur to us are Serit. Hcafield, with 28 years, and
C.S.M. Hill with 16 years, both of Ashby, and both of
whom served in the Volunteer Company in South
A[rica. R.S.hl. Lovett (27 years), o.f Loughborough,
also wears the South African medal for service in
the same C,ompany. Th.en there ar.e Pioneer-Serit.
Clav (27 years' service), C.S.M. Garratt, of Ashby,
C.S.M. \\rade, of hIelton, R.O.M.S. Gorse, of Lough-
bomugh, Signal-Serieant Diggle, of Hincklev--all long
serwice men. The senior N.C.O. in Rutland xvas C.S.M.
Kernick, v«ho had done 18 vears' service when war was
declared.
The infantry of the 46th (North hlidland) Division

2 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSItIRE.

"onsisted of the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, the
Lincolnshire and Leicestershire, and the Staffordshire
Brigades. Our brigade, the 138th, was commanded at
first bv General A. VV'. Taylor, who was succeeded a few
days before we left England b» General 'VV. R. Clifford.
Staff oflïcers changed freQuenfl), and we hope we did
not break the hearts of too many. Staff-Captain J. E.
,ïccars survived most of them, and we owe him much
tor the able and vigorous assistance he was always
ready cheerfullv to give us.
The 5th Leicestershire was a County Battalion,
organised in eight companies, with headquarters
respectively at Ashb.,-de-la-Zouch, Oakham, Melton
[owbra», HincMe., Market Harborough, Mountsorrel,
Shepshed, and one at Regimental Headquarters at
Loughborough. The OEmpanies thus were much
cattered, and it was only at the annual training camps
that we met as a battalion.
The Territorial Force was better prepared for mobili-
bation than is generally supposed, and if the historv of
the assembl» of the regiment at Loughborough in the
first week, their train joumey to Duflïeld in the second
week, the purchase of horses, the collection of stores,
the requisitions for food and the sharpening of bayonets,
be demanded, it can be read in the orders printed manv
mnths before war even threatened. The orders were
drawn up bv Lt.-Colonel G. German, T.D., out former
commanding oflïcer, now D.S.O., and by his conscien-
tious and indefatigable adjurant, Captain "vV. G. King
Peirce, who was killed early in the war fighting with his
old regiment, the Manchesters. It is due to these
officers to record-that everv detail was studiouslv fol-
lowed and found exactlv correct. 'VVe heard of one

ENGLAND. 3

ofiqcer who, at the time the printed book of orders was
issued, xvas so fearful lest it should fall into the hands
of some indiscreet or improper person, that he packed
and scalcd it, addressed it to lais executors, and locked
it .up in a sale, so that even sudden death on lais part
would hot force him to betray lais trust.
Of ail hard-worked people in the earlv davs itis
possible that upon Major R. E. Martin fell the greatest
share. Not onh did he sec that supplies were forth-
coming, and that dealers delivered the goods expccted
of them, but he set himself to design watcr-carts, and
troughs-xater-feet-for-tlae-washing-of, and cunningly to
adapt stock material to the better service and greater
comfort of ail, manv of wbom were f'or the first time
dragged from the civilities and luxuries of home lfe.
At Loughborough from the 5th to the llth of August
we did little more than pull ourselves together generall3,
and enjoy the good will o.f the inhabitants, ied bv our
firm friend, the oft-repeated Mayor, Mr. 5layo, J.P.
It did hot demand much wit to foretell that sooner
or later we shouid be asked to offer oursclves for service
abroad. The question was put for the first rime on the
1.3th of August, at Duflield. A rough estimate was
ruade that at least 70 per cent. would cousent gladly
and without furtlaer thought, aud of the others hesita-
tion was caused in manv cases because men wondcred
whether in view of their positions in civil lire they had
the right to answer for themselves. It should be under-
stood that a verv large number were skillcd men, and
had joiued the home armv merelv because thev thought
ita good thing to do. And because thev liked it, and
knew it was a good thing to d.o, thev were content to
accept humble places in a force forme-d for home service

" THE FIFTH LEICESTERSlRIRE.

and home defence onlv. Also, at that stage it was hot
perfectly certain that everyone would be wanted, and
when the question of war service abroad was raised,
and other men were not serving at ail, it is onh" natural
that the thought passed through some men's minds that
the appeal was hot for them. Vt'e think that the bat-
talion might be congratulated upon the general spirit
of willingness shown, especially as in the 17th August
when the question was put again more definitely, the
percentage of those readv to extend the terres of service
was estimated at 90.
There were other phases of this call for extension of
service, too numerous to detail here ; for example, on one
occasion we were asked to get six companies readv at
once. This for a rime upset everything, for, as we
bave said, the original eight companies were taken from
different paris of the county, and there was a strong
company comradcship, as well as a battalion unitv; and
if six be taken out of eight il means omissions,
amalgamations, grafts, and all sorts of disturbances.
Vt'e left 1)uffield on the 15th of August, and marched
to Derby Station. Out train was timed to start at
11 p.m., and seeing that we arrived at Luton at '2 p.m.
the next day, the rate of motion vas about 6 mlles an
hour, hot too fast for a train. But the truth is we did
hot start at 1] p.m., but spent hours standing in the
cattle vard at Derby, while trucks and guns were being
arranged to fit one another. As that was out first
experience of such delay, the incident vas impressed
upon out minds, and it counts one to the n.umber of bars
we said out medal should bave.
As in Loughborough, so in Luron, our billets were
schools. There was one advantage about the Beech

ENGLAND. 5

Hill Schools of Luton, namcly, that the wholc battalion
could assemble in the big room, sit on the floor, and
listen in comfort to words of instruction and advice.
But day schools were not intended for lodging purposes,
and here again was displayed Major Martin's skill in the
erection of cookhouses and more wash-tubs and othcr
domestic essentials. The m,oment we got settled, how-
ever happened to coincide with the moment at which
the educatioaq branch of the Town Coun¢il de/ermined
that the future of a nation depended upon the cducation
of ber children, and thus it came to pass that on the
:.'Sth of August we moved out of the schools, and entered
billets in \\'est Luton.
The long rows of houses were admirablv suited to
company billets. Occupiers dismantled the ground
floor front and took in three, and generally four men at
various rates. On the 2nd of October a universal rate
of 9d. a dav each man was fixed. That ruade twentv-
one shillings a week towards paying off a rent which
would average at the most twelve shillings. The
billets delighted us, and we hope the owners were as
pleased. \Ve thank them and ail we met in those
billeting times for their kind forbearance.
The headquarters and billets of senior officers were at
Cevlon Hall. The building was owned bv the Baptists,
and we round their committee most willing and obliging.
On one occasion thev lent us their chapel and organ for
a Sunday service, and set their own service at a time to
suit ours, when churches in the town could not help us.
Altogether we were in Luron just 3 months training
for war. To a great extent the training was on
ordinarv lines. A routine was followed, and all routines
bec*gme dull and wearisome. \Ve had been asked to go

ô THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

abroad, we had expressed our willingness to go. This
willingness grew into a desire, which at intervals
expressed itself in petulant words of longing--" Are
we ever going to France?" The answer was always
the saine: " You will go soon enough, and you will
stav 1,ong enough." This increased our irritation.
Suddenl.v, on one still and dark November day, parade
was sharply cancellcd, we clad ourselves in full march-
ing order, there was just a moment to scrawl on a post-
tard a few last words borne, tender words were
exchanged with our friends in the billets, and with heavy
tread and in solemn silence we marched forth along
the Bedford Road. There was a pillar box beside the
voad. It was onlv the leading companles that could put
the farewell card actuallv in the box, for it was quickly
crowded out, and in the end the upper portion of the
red pillar was visible standing on a conical pile of post-
cards.
Never had a field day passed with,out some reference
to the 16th milestone on the Bedford Road, but on this
particular dav orders did hot even mention the mile-
stone. This in itself vas sufficient to convince us that
real war had at length begun. Long before the 16th
milestone was sighted, we were diverted into a field, .o,ur
kit was commented upon, and we marched back to the
saine old billets. For convenience of reference this
incident is entered in our diarv as the march to France
along the Bedford Road, and no bar was awarded. The
march formed a erisis in our history, for subsequent to
it leave home was hot sought so eagerly. Positively
the last words of farewell had been said, and it was
difficult to devise o.ther forms of good-bye nearer the
absolute uhimate with which to engage out home

ENGLAND. 7

friends, who, to our credit be it said, vcre just as
anxious as we were.
It was about this tilne that out attention was drawn to
the anomalv of the discharge rule. A man who had
served for four vears could take his discharge as a time-
expired soldier. At the saine time men were cnlisting
freely. One young man of under œel was said to have
claimed his discharge on the very dav that his grand-
father, newly enlisted, entered upon three da»s' " CB."
for coming on parade with dirtv boots.
It was in Luron, too, that we overcame our distrust
and dislike of vaccination and inoculation against
typhoid. \Ve remember C.S.M. Lovett being inoculated
in public to give a lead to others, and we smile
now to think that in those davs it was power of
character and leadcrship onlv that accomplished things,
and incidentallv made the way smooth for a Govern-
mcnt's compulsory bill.
\Ve were inspected several times, in fact so often that
the clause " \Ve are rcspected by everyone,'" which
cornes in our regimental ditty--(and how could it hot ! !)
--was given the alternative rendering "inspected."
Twice his Majesty the King he.noured us with a visit,
and in addition General Ian Hamilton, Lord Kitchener,
and others.
Regiments differ nmch ; each has its peculiarities. The
5th Leicestershire a countv battalion, if in nothing
else, excelled individually in xxork across country.
Though all may hOt have been as clever as " Pat "
Collins (G.A.), who acted as guide to the commanding
officer for manv months--and we bave the commanding
officer's permission to add " counsellor and friend "--
there was never anv difficulty in finding the way in the

8 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

dav or at night. If we mav anticipate our early days
in France, a few months hence, we can remember being
occupied all one niChi in entricating parties of men who
had lost their way hopelessly in open country in the
dark. Those were men who came from a citv battalion,
brought up amongst labelled thoroughfares, street
lamps, and brilliantlv-illuminated shop windows. X.Ve
practised night work at Luton, and all was easv and
natural, though we added to out experiences, as on the
night when in the thrilling silence of a nlght attack the
fait chestnut bolted with the machine gun; and having
kicked two men and lost his character, reverted to the
tank of officer's charger.
On a dav in October the whole division had entrenched
itself in the vicinitv of Sharpenhoe and Sundon. To
enliven the exercise night manœuvres were hastilv
planned. Out share was to match at about 11 p.m.,
after a hard dav and hall a tea, and to continue march-
ing through the m-ost intricate country until rive o'clock
the next morning. At that time we were within charg-
ing distance of the enemy, and dav was breaking.
Filing through a railwav arch we wheeled into extended
order and lav down till all were readv. \Vhen the
advance was ordered, though we had lain down for two
minutes only, the greater number were fast asleep.
Despite this hitch the position was taken, and then a
march home brought the exercise Io an end at 8.10 a.m.
For this operation we voted a second bar to out medal.
To those who knew ail the details of the plan the
most brilliant feature was the wonderfullv accurate lead-
ing of out Brigade Major, now Brigadier-General Alder-
cron. He led us behind the advanced posts of the
enemv and it was their second line that we attacked.

ENGLAND. 9

Manv oflàcers were joining us. Since war had been
declared, E. G. Langdale, R. C. L. Mould, C. R.
Knighton, S. R. Pullinger, C. H. Vollaston, G. V.
Allen, .]'. D. Hills, and R. .Vard-Jackson had all been
added to out strength. Later came 1). B. Petch,
R. B. Farrer, and J. Vyndham Tomson, of
whom l'etch was straight frm school, and
he, with the last two named, served a fortnight in
France belote being gazetted. Their further careers
tan be followed in later chapters with the exception,
perhaps, of Hills, who himself writes those chapters.
As lais service is a combination of details, manv of
which are t.vpical of the young officer who fought in
the earlv davs of the war, for general information we
narrate so much. John David Hills, though not
had alreadv seen six vears' service in his school O.T.C.,
including one vear as a Cadet Olcer. He surrendered
lais Oxford Scholarship and what that might have meant
in order to join up at once. He passed through the
battalion from end to end, occupying at various rimes
everv possible place : signalling olcer, intelligence
ot'ficer, platoon commander, company commander,
adjutant, :2nd in command, and finished up in command
of what was called " the cadre." For some time, too,
be was attached to the brigade staff, and when we add
that he excelled in everv position separately and dis-
tinçtly, and won the admiration and love of ail, we
mav spare him further embarrassment and let the
honours he bas won speak for bim.
Çlothing was a lasting trouble. We were now
wearing out out first suits, and from rime to rime there
confronted us statements that sounded rather like
weather reports, for example--" No trousers to-day;

10 THE FIFTH LEICESTER.qHIRE.

tunics plentiful." Then the question arose as to whether
a man should wear a vest, and, if so, might he have
two, one on the man, the other at the wash. Patient
endurance was rewarded by an answer in the affirmative
to the tirst part of the question, but the correspondence
over the second portion has onlv just reached the
armistice stage.
And as with men, so with animais. " The waggon
and horses " sounds beautifuilv complete as weil as
highly- attractive, but in the armv we must hot forget
to sec that harness cornes as wcli. And this thou.ht,
the lack of harness, carries us to another great event
in out history, the end of the Luton day's, the match
to \Vare.
Vhv was the match to W.'tre planned cxactlv like
that? It is hot in thc hope of getting an answer we
ask the question. \Vaggons and horses and no harness,
and whose fault? \\TaKgons and horses with harness,
and carrying a double 1oad to make up,--no fault, a
necessitv. Officers awav on leave,btlt let us set
things doxn in order. Barcly a fortnight after the
match to France along the Bedford Road, on Saturday',
the ltth of November, a proportion of otïqcers and men
went on leave as usual till Monday, and all was calm
and still. .\t 1 a.m. on Monday, orders were received
to more at î a.m., complete for \\'are, a di.stance, by
the route set, of 23 to 30 miles,--some sav 50 to 100
mlles. Ofl]cial clear-the-line telegrams were poured out
recalling the leave takers. \'Vaggons were packed--
(were thev n6t packed !}--billets were cleared, and we
toed the line at the correct rime. For want of harness,
the four cooks' carts and two water carts were left
behind; for want of time, meat was issued raw; for

ENGLAND. 11

want of orders, no long halt was .ffiven at rnid-day.
One short and sharp bit of hill on the wav was too
rnuch for the horses, and such regirnental transport
as xxe h:d with us had to be rnan-hmdled. This little
diversion gave regirnents a choice of two systerns, gaps
between re.giments, or g;ps bctween sections of the sarne
regiment, and gave spectators, xxh.o had corne in con-
siderable nurnbers, a subject for discussion. But the
chier feature of the dv was that we reached VCare that
dav as complete as we started. \Ve arrivcd at î-l p.m.
except for two Çornpmies who were detached as rear
guard to the I)ivision. The tail end of the Divisional
train Iost touch and took the wrong turning, and for
this reason the two Çornpan;es did hot corne in till
11-:0 p.m. \Ve understand that the third bar on out
rnedal will be the rnarch to VCare.
Arnongst those who watched us pass near the half-
xxav post xxe noticed out ncighbour, General Sir A. E.
Codrington, then cornrnanding the London D;strict, who
as m expericnced soldier knew the dit-ficnlties and gave
us, as a regirnent, kindiv words of praise and
encouragernent.
V'e have often xvondered what was the verdict of
the authorities upon th;s rnarch. As this is regirnental
historv onl.v, it rnav be perrnitted to give the regirnent's
opinion. "Ve fancied we accornplished pasing well
an alrnost impossible task. It is true that hot long
afterwards we were well fitted out and sent to France.
\Ve are persuaded, too, to add here that we said we
owed one thing at least to out Divisional Commander,
General E. 3lontagu-Stuart-VCortley; we were the
first cornplete Territorial Force Division to cross the
seas and go into action as a Division against the Ger-

12 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

mans. And it mav be that the whole Territorial Force
owe to out General, too, that thev went in l)ivisions,
and were hot sent piecemeal as some earlier battalions,
and dovetailed into the Regular Army, or, perhaps,
even into the New Arrnv. \Ve lire in the assurance that
the confidence the Armv Council extended to us was hot
misplaced.
Having rested a dav at \\'are, we marched to Bishops
Stortford, where we cannot sav we were billeted neither
can we use again the word test, for the town was over-
crowded, and queues were formed up to billets; queues
composed of all arms of the service, and infantrv did hot
take the front place. Let us sav we were " stationed "
there one weel« The week was enlivened bv strange
rumour of German air attacks, and large patrols xere
kept on the xxatch at night.
On the 26th of November, the time of our life began
when the regiment marched into billets at Sawbridge-
xvorth. The town was built for one infantrv regiment
and no more. The inhabitants were delightful, and
we have heard, indirectly, more than once that thev
were pleased with us. \Ve soon learnt to love the toxxn
and all it contained, and we date hot sav that our love
bas grown cold even now. The wedding bells bave
alreadv rung for the regiment once at Sawbridgeworth,
when Lieut. R. C. L. Mould married *Iiss Barrett, and
we do hot knov that thev mav hot ring" again for a
similar reason. In Sawbridgeworth, out vigorous adju-
rant, Captain \V. T. Bromfield, was at his best. Everv-
one was seized and pulled up to the last notch of
efficienc.v, pay books were readv in time, company
returns were faultless, deficiencv lists complete, saluting
was severer than ever, and echos of heel clicks rattled

ENG L AN D. 1 

from the windows in the street. Best of ail were the
drums. Dailv at Retreat, l)rum Sergt. Skinner would
salute the orderlv officer, the orderlv officer would salute
the senior officer, then ail the officers would salute ail
the ladies, the crowd would more slowly away, and
wheel traffic was permitted once more in tbe High Street.
The ordinary routine of military life was broken into
at times bv sudden and violent efforts dictated bv
lightn[ng ideas of the Divisional or Brigade Staff, or bv
tbe latest news from tbe front. There was a rime, for
example, when we could think of one thing only,--the
recessed trench. Tbat gave place to the half company
trench, a eomplete system, embracing tire trenches,
supports, inspection trenches, with cook bouses, wash
bouses, and ail tbat a well regulated bouse eould
require; and so important was it, and its dimensions
so precise, that an annotated copy was printed on
bandkerchiefs.
Tben came a sudden desire to cross streams, bowever
swollen, and a part)- rode off to Bishops Stortfcrd to
leam tbe very latest plans. \Ve had just reeeived a
set of beautiful mules, wcll trained for hard work in
the transport. As horses were searce, and tbe party
large, out resourceful adjurant ordered mules. Several
mules returned at once, tbough manv went witb tbeir
riders to tbe model bridge, and in their intelligent
anx[etv to get a reallv close view, went into the water
witb them.
On another dav we did a great match tbrougb
Harlow, and saluted Sir Evelvn A'ood, V.C., who stood
at his gare to sec us pass.
Football, boxing and concerts, hot to mention
dancing, filled out spare time, and there was the famous

]4 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

race which ended :--BOB, Major Toller, a, 1., BERLIN,
Cpt. Bromfield, a, 2. And we are hot forgetting that
it was at Sawbridgeworth that we ate out tirst Christmas
war dinner. Never was such a feed. The elght
companies had each a separate room, and the Cm-
manding officer, Major Martin, and the adjutant ruade a
tour of visits, drlnking the health of each company in
turn--eight healths, eight drlnks, and which of the
three stood it best? Some sav the second in command
shirked.
Otficers had their dinner, too. After the loyal toast
there was one onlv--" Colour Sergt. Joe Collins, and
mav he lire for ever ! " The reply was short--" Gentle-
men, 1 think vou are all looking very well." It was
hl.q onlv thought, and we were well. \Ve know how
much we oxve to him ,as our mess sergeant; he studied
out indlvidual tastes and requirements, and kept us well
for manv months. Good luck to him !
It was hot till January, 1915, that a most important,
and as a matter of fact the ver 3' slmplest, change in out
organisation xxas ruade. To be in keeplng with the
regular forces, out elght companies were reorgauised
as four. This svstem would alwavs bave suited out
Çounty battalion even in 10(18, and out onlv wonder is
that it was hot introduced belote.
\Vhen, on the 18th of February, the G.O.C. returned
from a week's visit to France, and gave us a lecture
upon the verv latest things, we knew we mlght go at
anv time. Actually at noon on the 25th we got the
order to entrain at Harlow at midnight, and the next
mornlng we were on Southampton Docks.
Are left behind at Sawbridgeworth Captain R. S.
Goward, now Lieut. Colonel and T.D., in command of

ENGLAND. 1.5

a company which afterwards developed into a battalion
called the :rd 5th Leicestershire. This battalion was a
nurserv and test bouse for officers and men for the 1st
Fifth. It existed as a separate unit until the 1st of
September, 1916, and during those lnonths successfully
initiated ail ranks in the wavs of the regiment, and kept
alive the spirit which has carried us through the Great
\Var.

CHAPTER II.

EARLY EXPERIENCES.

26th Feb., 1915. 16th June, 1915.
ATER spcnding the greater part of the day (the 26th
February) lotlnging about the Hangrs at Southampton,
we at lcngtb embarked late in the afternoon--Head-
quarters and tbe right hall battalion in S.S. Duchess of
Argyle, left half, under Major Martin, in S.S. Atalanta.
The transport, under Capt. Burnett, was due to sail later
in S.S. Mazaran, since torpedoed in tbe Channel, but
they embarked at the saine rime as the test. Four other
ships containing Divisional Headquarters and some of
the Sherwood Foresters were to sail with us, and at
9 p.m., to the accompaniment of several svrens blowing
" Farewell," we steamed out, S.S. Duchess of Argyle
leading. The Captain of tbe ship asked us to post a
signaller to read anv signals, Serjt. Diggle was told
to keep a look out and assist the ocial signaller, a sort
of nondescript Swede or other neutral, like the test of
tbe crew. \Ve soon sighted some war vessel, and asked
if they had any orders, tbe reply being, according to
Serjt. Dig'le,. " No «o "--according to the Swede,
" No no." The Captain preferred to believe the latter,
and as there were no orders continued his course, though
we could see the remainder of out little fleet turn round
and sail back. The weather was appalling, the sea very

EARLY EXPERIENUES. 17

rough, and long before we had reached half wav we
were ail very iii. This was not surprising, as our
transport was built for pleasure work on the Clyde, and,
though fast, was never intended to face a Channel storm.
Each time a wave crashed into the ship's side we
imagined we had been torpedoed; in fact, it was one
long night of concentrated misery.
\Ve reached Le Havre in the earlv hours of the
morning, and disembarked, feeling, and probably" look-
ing, verv bedraggled. From tbe' quay we crawled up a
long and terriblv steep bill to the rest camp--some lines
of tents in a mudd)" field. Here, while we waited 24
hours for our left half Battalion, of whom we had no
news, we were joined bv our first interpreter, lXl. Furbv.
M. Furbv was verv anxious to please, but unfortunatelv
failed to realise the terrible majesty of the Adjutant, a
fact which caused his almost immediate relegation to tbe
Q.M. Stores, where he ahvavs procured the best billets
for Capt. \Vorley and lainaself. On tbe morning of the
28th we received an issue of sheepskin coats and extra
socks, the latter a present from H.M. the (ueen, and
after dinners moved doxxn to the Raihxav Station,
where we round Major .Martin and the left half. "l'heir
experiences in the Channel bad been worse than ours.
Most of them, wisbing to sleep, had started to do so
before the ship left Southampton on the 26th ; thev were
almost ail iii during the night, so were glad to find a
harbour wall outside their port-holes the folloxx ing morn-
ing, and at once went on deck " to look at France
onl)" to find they were back in Southampton. Thev
stayed there ail da3- , and eventuallv crossed tbe next
nigbt, arriving on the 28th, feeling as bad as we did,
and having had ail the horrors of two voyages.

18 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

,¥e wcre kpt waiting many hours on the platform,
whilc the French Railway staff gradually built an
enormous train, conlposêd of thosê xx-onderful xs-agons
labêlled " IO.XlXlES 36-0, CrtEVt, tX Er LO,¢ 8," which
we nos" saw for the first time. Hot in summcr, cold
in wintêr, always vêrv hard and smelly, and ftlll of
refuse, they none the lêss answered their purpose, and
a French troop train undoubtedlv carries thê maximum
numbcr of mon in the minimum of accommodation.
During this long wait we should ail bave starved had
it hot been for thc kindness of an English lady, Mrs.
Sidney l'itt, who, with othêr English ladies, served out
an ulimited supply of tca and buns to all. Eventually
at 5 p.m. our train was rêady, and we entrained--all
excêpt two platoons, for whom there was no room.
The transport was loaded on to flats xxhich xxerê hooked
on behind out wagons, and we finally started up country
at about î o'clock. Thê train movêd slowlv northwards
ail night, stopping for a few minutes at Rouên, and
reaching Abbêvillê just as dawn broke at 7 a.m. Here,
amidst a dêsolation of railway lines and tin shêds, wo
stavêd for hall an hour and stretched out cramped
limbs, while six large cauldrons providêd enough hot tea
for all. From this point our Pr0grêss bêcame slowêr,
and thê waits bêtwêen stations proportionally longer,
until at last we rêached a small village, xvhere, accord-
ing to our train ordêrs, wê should stop long ênough to
watêr horss. This we began to do, whên suddnly,
without anv xshistling or other warning, the train movêd
on, and Major Martin and Captain Btlrnett, who were
with the horses, only just managêd to catch thê train,
and had to travel thê ncxt stage on a fiat with a limber.
At St. Orner wê werê told whêrê wê should dêtrain, a

EARL¥ EXPERIENCES. 19

fact hitherto concealed from us, and eventuallv at 2-35
p.m. in a blizzard and ShOW storm we reached Arneke,
detrained at once, and marched about rive toiles to the
little village of Hardifort, where we arrived in the darl«
\Ve ere, of course, entirelv inexperienced at this
rime, and in the light of subsequent events, this, our
first attempt at billeting, vas a most ludicrous perfor-
mance. The Battalion halted oq the road in fours
outside the village, at the entrance to which stood a
group headed bv the C.O. with a note-book; behind
him was the Mayor--small, intoxicated and supremely
happy, the Brigade Interpreter, M. L6st, with a list
of billets, and the Adjurant, angry at having caught a
corporal in the act of taking a sl 3" drink. Around them
was a group of some dozen small boys who were to act
as guides. The Interpreter read out a name followed
by a number of officers and men ; the C.O. marie a note
of it and called up the next platoon ; the Mayor shouted
the naine at the top of his voice, waved his arms,
staggered, smacked a small boy, and again shouted,
at which from three to rive small bovs would step o.ut
and offer to guide the platoon, each choosirg a different
direction. How we ever round our homes is still a
mystery, and ver bv 10 p.m. ve were all cornfortablv
settled in quarters. \Ve were joined the next morning
bv the two remaining platoons, 2nd Lieuts. Mould and
Farrer.
The billets were slightly re-arranged as soon as dav-
light enabled us to see where we were, and we soon
settled down and ruade ourselves comfortable, being
told that we should remain at Hardifort until the th
Match, when we should go into trenches for a week's
instruction xvith some Regular Division. \Ve had

0 THE FIFTH LEICESTER.qHIRE.

nothing" much to do except recover from the eflects of
out journey, and tbis, with food billets and hOt too bad
weather, we soon did. Tbe remainder of out BriGade
had not vet arrived, so we were attached temporaril.v to
the Sherwood Foresters, whose 8th Battalion was also
absent, and with thcm on the 4tb moved off Eastwards,
having the previous day received some preliminary
instructions in trcncb warfare from General Montagu-
Stuart-Vortley, who spoke to ail the officers.
l'receded by out billeting part.v, xvhich left at 5 a.m.,
we marched from Hardifort at 9 a.m., and, passing
tbrou.b Terdeghen, reached the main road at St.
Sylvestre Capel, and went alon. it to Caestre. On the
wav we met General Smith-i)orrien, out Armv Com-
mander, and wbile tbe Battalion halted he taiked to
ail the oflicers, gave us some verv valuable hints, and
then watcbed the Battalion match past, having im-
pressed us ail with his xvonderful kindness and charm
of manner. At Caestre we round motor buses waiting
for us, and we were glad to see them, for though no
one had fallen out, we were somewhat tired after
marching nine mlles, carrying, in addition to full march-
ing order, blankets, sheepskin coats and some extra
xvarm clothing. The buses took us through Bailleul and
Nieppe to Armentières, at that rime a town infested
with the most appalling stinks and verv full of inhabi-
tants, although tbe front line trenches tan tbrough the
eastern suburbs. Having " debussed," we marched to
le Bizet, a little village a mlle north of the town, and
staved tbere in billets for the night. During the evening
we stood outside out billets, gazed at the continuous
line of flares and listened to the rifle tire, imagining in
our innocence that there must be a terrific battle with
so manv lights.

EARLY EX PER IENCES,. 21

The next da)" our instruction started, and for four
davs we worked hard, trying to learn all we could about
trench warfarc from the 12th Brigade, to whom we were
attached. \Vhile some went off to learn grenade throw-
ing, a skillçd science in thc'se davs when there was no
Mills but onlv the " stick " grenades, others helped
dig back lines of defence and learned the mvstcries of
revetting under the Ènginecrs. Each platoon spent 24
hours in the line with a platoon either of the Essex Regt.,
King's Own or Lancashire Fusiliers, who were holding
the sector from " l'lugstreet " to Le Touquet Station.
It was a quiet sector except for rifle tire at night, and
it was verv bad luck that during out first few hours in
trenches we lost 2nd Lieut. G. Aked, who was killed bv
a strav bullct in the front line. There was some slight
shelling of back areas with " Little \Villies," German
field gun shells, but these did no damage, and gave us
in consequence a useful contempt for this kind o.f pro-
jectile. Trench mortars were hot vet invented, and we
were spared all heavv shells, so that, whel on the 9th
we left Armentières, we felt confident that trenches,
though wet and uncomfortablc, were hot after all so
verv dreadful, and that, if at anv time we should be
asked to hold the line, we should acquit ourselves with
credit.
Out next home was the dirtv little villa,e of Strazeele,
which we reached bv march route, and where we found
Lieut. E. G. Langdale who rejoined us, having finished
his disembarkation duties. Here we occupied rive large
farm houses, all verv scattered and verv smelly, the
smclliest being Battalion Headquarters, called bv Major
*Iartin " La Ferme de L'Odeur affreuse." The
Signalling oflicer attempted to link up the farms by

2'2. THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

telephone, but his lines, which consisted of the thin
enamelled u-il-e issued at the tiret, xvere constantly
broken bv the farmers' mamlre carts, and the signallers
will aluavs remember the place with considerable dis-
gust. One fariner was verv pleased xvith himself,
having rolled up sone 00 vards of out line under the
impression that ail thin xvire must be German. The test
c the Brigade had noxx arrived, and the other three
Battalions xvere much almoved to find that we were
ah'eadv experienced soldiers--a fact which we took tare
to point out to them on everv possible occasion. Out
onlv othcr amusement xvas the leg-pullilg o.f some news-
paper correspondents, who, as the result of an interviexv,
ruade .Major Martin a " quarry official," and Lieut.
Vincent a poultry fariner of considerable repute!
On the llth .Match we marched to Saillv sur la Lys,
better knoxvn as "' Salir on the loose," xvhere with the
Canadian Division u'e should be in reserve, though we
did hot know it, for the battle of Neuve Chapelle. The
little toxvn was croxvded belote even out biIleting part),
arrived, and it xvas only bv some most brazen billet
stealig, xvhich iost us for ever the friendship of the
Divisional Cyclists, that we xvere able to find cover for
all, xvhile manv of the Lincolnshires had to bivouac in
the fields. Here we remained during the battle, but
though the Canadians moved up to the lite, we xvere
hot used, and spent out rime standing bv and listening
to the gun tire. A 15" Howitzer, commanded bv Admiral
Bacon and manned bv Marine Artillery, gave us some-
thing to look at, and it xvas indeed a remarkable sight
fo watch the houses in the neighbourhood gradually
falling doxvn as each shell xvent off. There xvas also
an armoured train which mounted three guns, and gave

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 9,3

us much pleasure to watch, though whether it did anx
damage to the enemv we never discovered. Finally, on
the 16th, havin. taken no part in the battle, we marched
to some fatras near Doulieu, and thence on the 19th to
a new area near Baillêul, includin the hamlets of Noote
boom, Steent-je (pronc, unced Stench), and Blatche
Maison, where we staved until the end of the month,
while the test of the Brigade went to Armentières for
their tours of instruction.
Out new area contained some excellent farm bouses,
and we were verv comfortablv billeted though somewhat
scattered. The time xas mostlv spent in traininff, which
consisted then of trench digging and occasionallv prac-
tising a " trench to trench " attack, with the assistance
of unners and telepbonists, about whose duties we had
learnt almost nothing in England. General Smith
1)orriên came to watch one of these practices, and,
though he passed one or two criticisms, seemed very
p|êased with out efforts. \Ve also carried out some
extraordinarilv dangerous experiments with bombs,
under Captain Ellxvood of the Lincolnshires and Lieut.
A. G. de A. Moore, who was out first bomb oflcer. It
was just about this rime that the Staff came to the con-
clusion that something simpler in the wav of grenades
was required than the " Hales " and other lon handled
types, and to meet this demand someone had invented
the " jam tin "--an ordinarv small tin filled with a few
halls and some explosive, into the top of which was
wired a detonator and frictio.n lighter. For practice pur-
poses the explosive was left out, and the detonator
wired into an empty tin. Each dav lines of men could
be seen about the country standinff behind a hedge,
over which thev threw jam tins at imainary trenches,

24 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

the aire and ohject of all I)ein K fo make the tin burst as
soon as possible after hitting the ground. \Ve xvere
given rive seconds fuses, and our orders were, " turn
the handle, çount four sloxvly, and tllen throw." lost
soldiers wiselv countcd four fairlv rapidly, but l'te. G.
Kcll S, of " I)" Company, greatly distinguislled llimself
b holding on wcll past " rive,'" with the result that
the infernal nmchine explodcd ithin a ard of his head,
fortunatclv doing no damage.
Ail tllis tine e were about ilinC mlles from the line,
and were lcf in peace bv tlle Bochc, except for a sinffle
niglll visi( fronl Olle of Ilis acroplancs, which dropped
two bombs ncar Bailleul Station and woke us all up.
Ve did no know wllat tllev were at the tinle, so ere
hot as alarmed as we naillt otllcrvisc have been. In
fact '" B " Conlpany had a much more trying rime when,
a fcw nights later, one of lle cows at tlleir billet calved
shortlv after midnigh. The sentrv on dutv woke
Capain ¢ ;r[tlls,  11o in turn woke the fariner and tried
to explain what Ilad llappellCd. Ail to no purpose, for
tllc farmer was quite mlablc to understand, and in the
end was onlv ruade to realisc the gravity of the situation
b) tlle more general and less scientific explanation that
" La vache est malade."
On the 1st April we received a warnilag order to the
cflec that ttle I)ivsion would take over sllortlv a sector
of the line South of St. Eloi from the 28th Division, and
two davs later we marclled tllrough Bailleul to some buts
on the l)ranoutre-Locre road, where we relieved the
Northumberland Fusiliers in Brigade support. The
samc evening tlle Company Commanders went with the
C.O. and Adjutant to reconnoitre the sector of trenches
we were to occ-upy. It rained liard all night, and was

EARLY EXPERIENCES. ,

consequently pitch dark, so that the reconnoitring party
could see verv little and had a most unpleasant jotlrney,
returnin,ff to the buts at 2 o'clock the next morning
(Easter Day), tired out and soaked to the skin. During
the dav the weather improved, and it was a fine ni.ffht
when at 11 p.m., the Battalion paraded and marched
in fours thouR-h Dranoutre and along the road to within
hall a toile of \Vulverghem. Herc, at " l'ackhorse "
Farm, we were met bv guides of the ,Velch Rcgiment
(Col. Marden} and taken into tbe line.
Out first scctor of trenches consistcd of two d[scon-
nected lengths of front line, called trenches l-I and 15,
behind each o,f xx hich a few shclters, which wcre neither
oranised for defence nor even splinter-proof, were
known as I .'4 and 1,3S--thc S presumably meanin.
Support. On the left some 17»0 yards from the front line
a little circular sandbag keep, about 40 vards in diameter
and known as S.P. 1, formed a Company Headquarters
and fortified post, while a series of holes covered bv
sheets of iron and called E4 dug-outs provided some
more accommodation--of a verv inferior order, since
the slightest movement bv dav drew tire from the
snipers' posts on " Hill 76." As this hill, Spanbroek
Molen on the map, which lies between \Vulverghem
and \Vvtschaete was held bv the BoE-he, out trenches
xxhich were on its slopes were overlooked, and we had
to be most careful hot to expose ourselves anvwhere
near the front line, for to do so meant immediate death
at the hands of his snipers, who were far more accurate
than anv others we have met since. To add to out diffi-
cuhies out trench parapets, which owing to the wet
were entirelv above ground, were composed onlv of
sandbags, and were in manv places hot bullet proof.

6 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

There were large numbers of small farm houses ail over
the country (surrounded bv their five-months' dead
lire stock), and as the war had hot vet been in progress
many months these houses were still recognizable as
such. Those actuallv in the line were roofless, but the
other.s, wonderfully preserved, were inhabitçd by support
Companies, who, thanks to the inactivitv of the enemv's
artillery, were able to lire in peace though under direct
ob.servation. In our present sector we round six such
farnas; " Ço.okers," the rnost famous, stood 500 vards
behitad S.I'. l, and was the centre of attraction for most
of the bullets at night. It contained a Çompany Head-
quarters, signal otfice, and the platoon on the round
floor, and one platoon in the attic! Behind this, and
partly screened from view, were " Frenchman's «' occu-
pied by Battalion Headquarters, " Pond " where half
the Re.serve Çompany lived, and " Packhorse " con-
taining the other half Reserve and Regimental Aid Post.
This last wa.s also t-he burylng ground for the sector,
and rendezvous for transport and working parties. Two
other farms--" Cob " and "T"--lav on the \Vulver-
ghem Road and were hot used until our second tour,
when Battalion Headquarters moved into " Çob " as
being pleasanter than " Frenchman's," and " Pond "
also had to be evacuated, as the Lincolnshires had had
heavv casualties there.
The enemv opposite to us, popularly supposed to be
Bavarians, seemed content to leave everything bv dav
to lais snlpers. These certainlv were exceptionally good,
as we learnt bv bitter experience. Bv night there was
greater activity, and rifle bullets fell thïckly round
Cokers Farm and the surrounding- country. There
xvere also fixed rifles at intervals along the enem.x's

ERLY EXPERIENCES. 2'7

lines aimed at our communication tracks, and these,
fired frequently during the earlv part of the night, ruade
life very unpleasant for the carrying parties. There
were no communication trenches and no light raihvays,
sct that ail stores and.rations, which could be taken bv
limbers as far as t'ackhorse Farm only, had to be carried
bv hand to the front line. This was done bv platoons
of the support and reserve companies who had frequently
to make Iwo or three journeys during the night, along
the slippery track past Pond Farm and Cookers Corner
--the last a famous and much loathed spot. There were
grids to walk on, but these more resembled greasy
poles, for the slabs had been placel longitudinaily on
cross runners, and many of us used to slide off the end
into some swampy hole. One of "B " Company's
officers was a particular adept at this, and fell into some
hole or other almost everv night. These parties often
managed to add to our general excitement by discover-
ing some rem or supposed sp.v along their route, and
on one occasion there was quite a small stir round
Co,okers Farm bv " something which moved, was fired
at, and dropped into a trench with a splash, making
its escape." A subsequent telephone conversation
between " Cracker " Bass and his friend Stokes revealed
the truth that the " something " vas " a y great
car with white eves."
Like the enemv's, out artillerv was comparatively
inactive. Our gunners, though from their Observation
Posts, " O.P.'s," on Kemmel Hill thev could see manv
excellent targets, were unable to tire more than a few
rounds dailv owing to lack of ammunition; what little
they had was ail of the " pip-squeak " variety, and not
verv formidable. Our snipers were quite incapable of

28 THE FIFTH LEI('ESTERSHIRE.

dealing with the Bavarians, and except for Lieut. A. P.
Marsh, who went about smashillg Boche loophole plates
with General Cifford's elephant gun, we did nothing in
this respect.
In one sphere, however, we were masters--namely,
patrolling. At Armentières we had had no practice in
this art, and our first venlure into No Man's Land was
consequently a distinctlv hazardous enterprise for those
who undertook it--2nd Lieut. J. \V. Tomson, Corpl.
Slaniforlh, l'tes. Biddles, Tebbutt, and Tailby, all of
"A '" Company (Toller). Their second night in the
line, in 15 tl-ench, lhis little party crawled between the
two halves of a dead cow, and, scrambling over our
wire, explored No Man's Land, returning some hall hour
later. Others followed their lead, and durlng the whole
of our stav in this sector, though o.ur patrols were o.ut
almost everv night, thev never met a German.
\Ve staved in these trenches for a month, taking
alternate tours of four davs each wilh the 4th Lincoln-
shires (Col. Jess)p). \Ve lost about two killed and ten
wounded each tour, mostlv from snipers and stray
bullets, for we did hot corne il-ltO actual conflict with the
enemv at all. Amongst the wounded was C.S.M.J.
Kernick, of "B " Company, whose place was taken
by H. G. Lovett. This company also lost Serjt. Nadin,
who was ldlled a few weeks later.
Although we fo'ught no pitched battles, the month
included several little excitements of a minor sort, both
in trenches and when out at test. The first of these was
the appearance of a Zeppelin over Dranoutre, xxhere
we were billeted. Fortunatelv onlv Olle bomb droçped
anywhere near us, and this did no damage; the rest
were all aimed at Bailleul and its aerodromes. \Ve all

EARLY EXPERIENCES. '2-9

turned out of bed, and stood in the strects to look at it,
while manv sentries blazed awav with their rifles, for-
getting that it was manv hundred fect bevond the range
o¢ anv rifle.
Bv the middlc of April the Staff began to expect a
possible {eman attack, and we " stood to " all night
the 15/16th, having been warned that it would be l'nade
oll our front aud that asphy'xiating gases would be
uscd--we had, of course, no respirators. Two nights
later lhe 7th l)ivisio.n attacked Hill ri0, and for four
hours and a quarter, from 4 p.m. to 8-1 p.l'n., vce fired
out rifles, three rounds a miuute, with si.q-hts at ,300
vards and rifles set on a bearing of
o0, in order to
harass the encrnv's back areas behind the Hill--a task
xxhich later was ahvavs giveu to the machine gunners.
In those davs it was a rare thing to hear a machine gun
at ail, and ours scarceh exer fired. .\ week afterwards,
when out at test, we heard that the second battle of
Ypres had begun, and learnt with horror and disgust
of the famous first gas attack and its ghastly results.
\Vithiu a few davs the lirst primitive respirators arrived
and were issued; lhev were nothing but a pad of wool
and some gauze, aud would have been little tse; for-
tunatelv we did hot know this, and out confidence in
them was quite complete. On the 10th May, just belote
we left the sector, we had a little excitement in the front
line. A German bombing party suddenh" rushcd " E 1
Left," a rotten little "' grouse-butt " trench onlv :3;
vards from the enemy, and held bv the -tth Leicester-
shires, and succeeded in inflicting several casualties
belote they made off, leaving one dead behind them.
This in itself was not much, but both sides opened rapid
rifle tire, and the din was so terrific that supports were

;30 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

rushed up, reserves " stood to" to counter-attack, and
it was nearlv an hour before we were able to resume
normal conditions. The following dav e returned to
the buts, where we were joined by "_'nd Lieut. L. H.
l'earson ho was posted to " A " Company; nd Lieut.
Aked's place had alreadv been filled bv Lieut. C F.
Shields from the Reserve Battalion. nd Lieut. G. \V.
Allen, who had been awav with measlcs, also returned
to us during April.
Out next star in the Locre huts can hardlv be called
a test. First, on the l:2th Iay, the enemv raided the
4th Lincolnshires in (il and (1ff trenches, vhere, at
" l'ecl¢ham Çorner," thev hoped to be able to destrov
one of out mine gallçries. The raid was preceded by
a strong trench mortar bombardment, during which the
Lincolnshire trenches were badlv smashed about, and
several vards of them so completel3 destroved that out
'" A " Company were sent up the next evening to assist
in their repair. Thev staved in the line for twentv-four
hours, returning to the buts at 4 p.m. on the 14th, to
find that the test of the Battalion was about to more to
the 'pres neighbourhood. The previous day the (erman
attacks had increased in intensit.v, and the cavalrv ho
had been sent up to fill the gap had suffered verv heavil.v,
among them being the Leicestershire 'eomanr_v, who
had fought for manv hours against overwhelming odds,
losing Col. Evans-Freke and manv others. There was
great danger that if these attacks continued, the enemv
would break throug-h, and consequently all available
troops were being sent up to dig a new trench line of
resistance near Zillebeke--the line aftervards known as
the " Zillebeke switch." None of us had ever been to
the " Salient," b.ut it was a well knovn and much

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 81

dreaded name, and most of us imagined we were likelv
to bave a bad night, and gloomily looked forward to
heavy casualties.
Starting at 6-40 p.m., we went bv motor bus with
four hundred Sherwood Foreslers through Reninghelst,
Ouderdom, and Vlamertinghe to Kruisstraat, which we
reached in three hours. Hence guides of the [th
Gordons led us bv Bridge 16 over the Canal and along
the track of the Lille Road. It was a dark night, and
as we stumbled along in single file, we could see the
Towers of Ypres smouldering with a dull red glow to
our left, while the salicnt front line was lit .up bv
bursting shells and trench mortars. Out rote lav past
Shrapnel Corner and along the railwav line to Zillebeke
Station, and was rendered particularly unpleasant by the
rifle tire from " Hill 60 " on our right. The raihvav
embankment was high and xve seemed to be unneces-
sarilv exposing ourselves bv walking along the top of it,
but as the guides were supposed to know the best route
we could not interfere. At Zillebeke Church we round
Colonel Jones, who came earlier bv car, xx aiting to show
us our work which we eventuallv started at midnight;
as we had to leave the Church again at 1 a.m., tobe
clear of the Salient before daylight, we had not much
rime for work. However, so numerous were the bullets
that all digging records were broken, especially bv the
Signallers, whose one desire, verv wisely, was to get to
ground with as little delay as possible, and xx non we left
out work, the trench was in places several leet deep.
The co,ming of daylight and several sah'oc., of Boche
shells dissuaded us from lingering in the Sal;cnt, and,
after once more stumbling along the Raihvav Line, we
reached out motor buses and returned to the buts,

3, THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

arriving at 5-:0 a.rn. A tXIay uight is so slaort, that the
little di,,in, done seemed hardlv worth the casualties,
but perhaps we were hot in a position to judge.
Two davs later we went into a new sector, trenches
on the irnmediate left of the last Brigade sector, and
previotlsly held bv the Sherwood Foresters. The frout
line consisting ooE tronches " F4, 5 and 6," " GI and ,"
was more or less coutilaUOUS, though a gap between the
" F's " and " ('s," across which one had to run, added
a distinct clernent of risk to a tour round the line. The
worst part was l'eckharn Corner, where the Lincoln-
shires had alreadv suffered; for it was badlv sighted,
badlv built, and completely overlooked bv the enernv's
sniping redoubt on " Hill 76." lu addition to thls it
contained a mine shaft running towards the enernv's
lines, sorne 40 vards away, and at this the Boche con-
stantlv threw his " Sausages," srnall trench rnortars
ruade of lengths of store piping stopped at the ends.
It was also Salspectcd that he was COUlater-rnining. In
this sector three Companies were in the front line, the
fourth lived with Battalion Headquarters, which were
now at Liladelahoek Cfilet near the cross roads, a
pretty little hotlse on the lower slopes of Mont Kemrnel.
Though the back area was better, the trenches on the
whole wel-e hot so co,nafortahle as those we had left, and
during ont first tour we had reas.on to regret the change.
First, 2nd Lieut. Ç. V. Selwyn, taking out a patrol in
front of " F3," was shot throtlgh both thighs, and,
though wonderfull cheerful when carried in, dled a few
davs later at Bailleul. The next rncrning, while looking
at the enenav's snipers' redoubt, Captain J. Chaprnau,
'_'lad in Çomrnand of " D "' Cornpany, was shot through
the head, and though he lived for a few days, died soon

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 33

after reaching England. This place was taken bv Lieut.
J. 1). A. Vinœeent, and at the saine time Lieut. Langdale
was appoiuted 2nd in Command of " C." There were
also other changes, for Major R. E. Martin xvas given
Command of the 4th Battalion, and was succeeded as
2nd in Command bv Major \V. S. N. Toller, while
Captain C. Bland became skipper of "A " Company.
l)uring this saine tour, the Brigade suffered its first
serious disaster, when thc enenav mined and blew up
trench " E1 left," hcld at the time bv the 5th Lincoln-
shire Regiment. This regiment had manv casualties,
and the trench was of course destro,yed, xvhile several
meu were buried or half-buried in the debris, where
thev became a mark for German snipers. "I'o rescue
one of these, Lieut. Gosling, R.E., who was working in
tbe G trencbes, went across to E1, and with the utmost
gallantr.v worked lais wav to the mine crater. Finding
a soldier hall buried, he started to dig him out, aud had
]ust completed his task when he fell to a sniper's bullet
and was killed outright. As at this time the Royal
Engineers' TunneIling Companies were not sufficient to
cover the whole British front, none had been allotted
to this, which was generally considcred a quiet sector.
Gen. Clifford, therefore, decided to bave his own Brigade
Tul3uellers, and a company xvas at once formed, under
Lieut. A. G. Moore, to which we contributed 24 men,
coalminers bv profession. Lieut. Moore soon got to
wc, rk and, so xvell did the " amateurs " perform this
new task, that within a few davs gaIleries had been
started, aud we were alreadv in touch with the Boche
underground. In an incrediblv short space of time,
thanks verv largely to the personal efforts of Lieut.
[oore, who spent hours everv dav down belov within a

4 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

few feet of the encmy's miners, two German mine-shafts
and their occupants were blown in bv a " camouflet,"
and both E1 left and E1 right were completely protected
from further mining attacks bv a defensive gallery along
their front. For this Lieut. Moore was awarded a verv
well deserved 5lilitarv Coss.
After the sCCOl'd tour in this sector xxe again ruade a
slight change hl the line, giving up the " F " trenches
and taking instead " G:}," " G-t, .... G4:a," " HI,"
"' H " and " Ha," again relieving the Sherwood
Foresters, who extended their line to the left. Unfor-
tunately, thev still retained the Doctor's House in
Kemmel as their Headquarters, and, as Lindenhoek
Çhàlet was now too far South, Colonel Jones had to
find a new home in the village, and chose a small shop
in one of the lesser streets. \Ve had scarcelv been :4:
hours in the new billet when, at mid-day, the 4:th June,
the Boche started to bombard the place with 5.9's, just
xvhen Colonel Jessop, of the 4:th Lincolnshires, was
talking to Colonel Jones in the road outside the house,
while an orderlv held the two horses close bv. The
first shell fell almost on the party, killing Colonel
Jessop, the two orderlies, Bacchus and Blackham, and
both horses. Colonel Jones was wounded in the hand,
neck and thigh, fort.unatelv hot verv seriously, though
he had to be sent al once fo England, having escaped
death bv little short of a miracle. His loss was ve W
keenly felt bv all of us, for ever since we had corne to
France, he had been the lire and soul of the Battalion,
and it was hard to imagine trenches, where we should
not receive his dailv cheerful visit. \Ve had two
reassurlng thoaghts, one that the General had promised
o keep his command open for him as soon as he should

]3omb l.'orner, Ypres 1915.

Corner, Yl)res 1915.

Bal'racks, Ypres 1915.

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 35

return, the second that during lais absence we should be
commanded bv Major Toller, who had been with us ail
the rime, and was consequently well known to ail of us.
Meanwhile we had considerablv advanced in our own
esteem bv havinff become instructors to one of the first
" New Armv " l)ivisions to corne to France, the 14th
Light Infantrv Division, cornposed of three battalions of
Rifle Brigade and 60th, and a battalion of each of the
British Liffht Infantrv Regirnents. Thev were attached
to us, just as xxe had been attached t the 12th Brigade
at Armentires, to learn the little details of Trench war-
fare that cannot be tatlght at home, and their platoons
were with us during both out tours in the " G's " and
" H's." They were composed almost entirely of
officers and men who had v,c,lunteered in August, 1914,
and their phy'sique, drill and discipline were excellent--a
fact which they took care to point out to everybody,
adding generally" that thev had corne to France " hot to
sit in trenches, but to capture woods, villages, etc."
X.Ve listened, of course, politely to ail this, smiled, and
went on with our instrtlcting. Many stories are told
of the ffreat pride and assurance of out visitors, one of
the most amusing being of an incident which happened
in trench " H2." Before marching to trenches the
visiting Platoon Commander had, in a small speech to
lais platoon, told them to learn ail they could from us
about trenches, but that they must remember that we
were not regulars, and consequently our discipline was
hot the same as theirs. Ail this and more he poured
into the ears of his host in the line, until he was inter-
rupted bv the entrv of lais Platoon Sergeant to report
the accidental wounding of Pte. X bv Pte. Y, who fired
a round when cleaning his rifle. There was no necd for

.6 THE FIFTH LEICE:STERSHIRE.

the host to rub it in, he heard no more abo.ut discipline.
Credit, however, must be given where credit is due,
and the following tour out visitors distinguished them-
selves. On the 15th June, at 9.10 p.m., when the night
was comparatively quiet, the enemv suddenlv blew up a
trench on our left, held by the Sherwood Foresters, at
the saine time o,pening heavy rifle tire on our back areas
and shelling out front line. Captain Griffiths, who held
our left flank with " B " Company, round that his flank
was in the air, so very promptly set abo.ut moving some
of his supports to cover this flank, and so,on ruade all
secure. Meanwhile Lieut. Rosher, machine gun officer of
the visiting Durham Light Infantry, hearing the terrific
din and gathering that something out of the ordinary
was happening, though he did not know what, slung a
maxim tripod over his shoulders, picked up a gun under
each arm, and went straightaway to the centre of
activitv--a feat hot onlv of wonderful physical strength,
but considerable initiative and courage. \Ve did not
surfer heavv casualties, but 2nd Lieut. Mould's platoon
ha-t3 their parapet destroved in one or two places, and
had to re-build it under heavy tire, in which Pte. J. H.
Cramp, the Battalion hairdresser, distinguished him-
self. Except for this one outburst on the part of the
Boche we had a quiet time, though Peckham Corner
was alwavs rather a cause of anxiety, for neither R.E.
nor the Brigade Tunnellers could spare a permanent
part)- on the mine shaft. Consequently, it was left ho
the Company Commander to blow up the mine, and
with it some of the German trench, in case of emergency,
and it was left to the infantrv to supply listeners down
the shaft to listen four counter-mining. On one occasion
xvhen Captain Bland took over the trench with "A "'

EARLY EXPERIENCES. 37

Cornpany, he found the pump out of order, the water
rising in the sbaft, and the gallery full of foui air, ail of
which difficulties were overcome without the R.E.'s
help, bv the courage and ingenuity of Serjeant Garratt.
There was one remarkable feature of the whole of this
period of the war which cannot be passed over, and that
was the verv decidcd superiority of our Flying Corps.
Durillg the whole of Ol.lr three months in the Kemmel
area we never once saw a (t'rman acroplane cross out
lines without being instantlv attacked, and on one occa-
sion we watched a most exciting battle between two
planes, which ended in the German falling in flames into
Messines, at which we cheered, and the Boche shelled
us. T,owards the end of the war the air was often thick
with aeroplanes of ail nationalities and descriptions, but
in those days, before bombing flights and battle
squadrons had appeared, it was seldom one saw as manv
as eight planes in the air at a rime, and tactical forma-
tions either for reconnaissance or attack seemed to be
unkn,cwn; it was ail "' one nmn " ork, and each one
man worked well.
On the night of the 16th June the Battalion came out
of trenches and marched to the Locre huts for the last
time, looking forward to a few davs' rest in good
weather belote moving to the Salient, which w e were
told was shortlv to be our rate. \Ve had been verv
fortunate in keeping these huts as our rest billets
throughout our star in the sector, for though a xooden
fl.oor is hot so comfortable as a bed in a billet, the camp
was well sited and verv convenient. The Stores and
Transport were lodged onlv a few vards awav at
Locrehof Farm, and Captain \Vorlev used to have everv-
thing ready for us when we came out of the line.

38 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

l)uring the long march back from trenches, we could
alwavs look forward to hot drinks and big rires waiting
for us at the buts, while there was no more inspiring
sight for the oflicers than Mess Çolour-Sergeant J.
Çollins' cheerv smile, as he stirred a cauldron of hot
rum punch. Bailleul was onlv two mlles away, and
otticers and men used o¢ten to ride or walk into the town
to call on " Tina,'" buv lace, or have hot baths (a
great luxury) at the Lunatic Asvlum. l)ividing out
time betveen this and cricket, for which there was
plenty of room around the huts, we generally managed
to pass a very pleasant four or six davs' test.

CHAPTER III.

"THE SALIENT."
22nd June, 1915. 1st Oct., 1915.
ON the ff:had June, 1915, after resting for rive davs in
the Huts, where General Ferguson, out Corps Com-
mander, came to say good-bye, we marchcd at 9.0 p.m.
to Ouderdom, while out place in the line was taken by
the 50th Northumbrian Territorial Division, xvho had
been very badly hammered, and were being sent for a
rest to a quiet sector. At Ouderdom, which we reached
about midnight, we discovered that out billets consisted
of a farm house and a large ficld, hot verv cheering to
those who had expected a village, or at least buts, but
better than o,ne or two units xvho had fields only, witbout
the farm. It was out first experience in bivouacs, but
fortunatelv a fine night, so we soon ail crawled under
waterproof sheets, and slept tmtil da.vlight allowed us to
arrange something more substant[al. The next day,
with the aid of a few " scrounged " top poles and some
string, everv man ruade himself some sort of weather-
proof hutch, while the combined tent-valises of the
officers were grouped together near the farm, which
was used as mess and Ç)uartermaster's Stores.
Unfortunately, we had no sooner ruade ourselves really
comfortable than the Staffordshires claimed the field as
part of their area, and we had to more to a similar

40 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

billeting area a few hundred yards outside Reninghelst
where we staved until the 9,'th. The weather remained
hot and fille, except for two verv heavy showers in the
middle of one da3, when most of the officers could be
seen making furiotls efforts to dig drains round their
bivouacs from illside, while the other ranks stood stark
nakcd round the field and enjoyed the pleasures of a
cold shower-bath. \Ve spent our time training and
providing workhlg parties, one of which, consisthlg of
400 men under Capt. Jeffries, for work at Zillebeke,
proved ;.ul even greater fiasco than its predccessor bi Mav.
For on this occasion, ilot olllv was the night verv short,
but the g-uides failed to find the work, and the part)"
eventuallv returned to bivouacs, having done nothing
except wander about the salient for three hours. Two
davs before we left Reninghelst the first reinforce-
ments arrived t;or us, consisting of 1 returned
casualties and 80 N.C.O.'s and men from England
--a ver 5" welcome addition to our strength.
The timc eventually arrived for us to go into the line,
and on the 29th the officers went up bv dav to take over
from the Sherwood Foresters, xvhile the remahlder of the
Battalion followed as soon as it was dark. .Iud roads
and broad cross-country tracks brought i_lS over the plain
to the " Indian Transport Field," near Kruisstraat
\Vhite Chateau, still standing tlnlotlched because, it was
said, its peace-time o,wner xvas a Boche. Leaving the
Çhateau on our right, and passillg Brigade Headquarters
Chalet on our left, xve kept to the road through Kruis-
straat as far as the outskirts of 'pres, where a track to
the riffht led us to Bridge 14: over the  p es-Comlnes
Caïïal. Thence, by field tracks, we crossed the Lille
road a few vards north of Shrapnel Corner, and leaving

THE SALIENT.

on out left the longf, low, red buildings of the " Ecole
de Bienfaisance," reached Zillebeke Lake close to the
white bouse at the N.\V. corner. The lake is triangular
and entircly artificial, being surrounded bv a broad
causeway', 6 feet high, with a pathway along the top.
On the western edge the ground falls away, leaving a
bank sorne twenty feet high, in which were built the
" Lake Dug«outs,"--the borne of one of the support
battalions. Frorn the corner bouse to the trencbes
there were two routes, one by the south side of the Lake,
past Raihvav l)ug-outs--cut into tbe ernbankrnent of the
Cornincs Raihvay--and Manor Farrn to Square \V'od;
the other, which we followed, alonff the Nortb side of
the Lake, where a trench eut into the causewav gave us
cover frorn observation frorn " Hill 60." At Zillebeke
we left the trencb, and crossed the main road at the
double, on account of a machine gun whicb the Boche
kept at the " Hill 60"' end of it, and kept rnovinff
until past the Church--anoher unplcasant localitv.
Thence a screened track led to Maple Copse, an isolated
little wood with several dug-outs in it, and o.n to
Sanctuarv \\'ood, which we round 400 vards further
East. Here in dug-outs lived the Supports, for whorn
at thi-s tirne was no fighting accommodation except one
or txvo absurdlv miniature keeps. At the corner of the
larger wood we passed the Ration Durnp, and tben, leav-
ing this on our lett, turned illto Arrnagh \Vood on out
right.
Frorn the southern end of Zillebeke village two roads
tan to the front line. One, alrnost due South, kept
close to the railway and was lost in the ruins of
Zwartelen village on " Hill 60 " ; the otber, turning East
along a ridge, passed between Sanctuary and Arrnzgh

4. THE FIFTH LEI¢.'ESTERSHIRE.

Voods, and crossed our front line between the "A "
and " B " trenches, the left of our new sector. The
ridge, called Observatory, on account of its numerous
O.l'.'s, was sacred to the Gunners, and no one xas
allowed to linger there, for fear of betraying these points
of vantage. Beyond it was a valley, and beyoad that
again some high ground N.E. of the bill, afterwards
known as Mountsorrel, on account of Colonel Martin's
Headquarters, which were on it. The line ran over the
top of this high ground, which was the meeting place
of the old winter trenches {numbered 46 to 50) on the
right, and, on the left the new trenches " Æ," " B,"
etc, built for our retirement during the 2nd Battle. The
5th l)ivision held the old trenches, we relieved the Sher-
wood Foreters in the new " A1 " to " AS," with three
companies in the line and onlv one in support. "I'he
last was near Battalion Headquarters, called Uppingham
in Colonel Jones' honour, which were in a bank about
-°00 vards behind the front line. Some of the dug-outs
were actuallv in the bank, but the most extraordinary
erection ,of ail was the mess, a single sandbag thick
bouse, built entirely above ground, and standing by
itself, unprotected by anv bank or fold in the ground,
absolutelv incapable, of course, of protecting its
occupants from even an anti-aircraft " dud."
%Ve soon discovered during our first tour the difference
between the Salient and other sectors of the line, for,
whereas at Kemmel we were rarelv shelled more than
once a day, and then onlv xvith a few small shells, now
scarcely three hours xvent bv without some part of the
Battalion's front being bombarded, usuallv with whizz-
bangs. The Ypres whizz-bang, to=o, was a thing one
could ,lot despise. The country round Klein Zi!lebeke

THE SALIENT. 3

was vcrv close, and the Boche was able to keep his
batteries only a few hundred yards behind his front line,
with the resuh that the "Bang" generally arrived belote
the whizz. " A6 " and " Aî " suffered mnost, and on
the 1st July Captain T. C. 1'. Beasley, comnmnalMing "C"
Çomnpany, and Lieut. A. P. Marsh, of "B" Comnpany,
were both wounded, and had to be sent awav to
Hospital some hours later. The saine night we gave
up these undesirable trenches, together with " A5 " and
" A8 " to the 4th Battalion, and took instead " 49,"
"50 " and the Support " 51 " fromn the Cheshires of the
5th Division. These trenches were about 200 vards
fromn the enemv except at the iunction of " 49 " and
" 50," where a smnall salient in lais line brought himn to
within 80 yards. The sniping here was as deadlv as al
Kemmnel, though round the corner in " A1 " xve could
bave danced on the parapet and attracted no attention.
On the other hand " 49 " and " 50 " were comnfortablv
built, whereas " A1 " was shallov and narrow and half
filled with tunnellers' sandbags, for it contained three
long mine shafts, two of which were alreadv under the
German lines. " A2," " 3 " and " 4 " were the most
peaceful of our sector, and the only disturbance here
during the tour was when one of a smnall burst of crumps
blew up our bomnb store and blocked the trench for a
timne. This,«'as on the 5th, and after it we were left
in peace, until, relieved bv the Staffordshires, we
marched back to Ouderdom, feeling that we had escaped
froi.n our first tour in the ill-famed salient fairlv cheaply.
Even so, we had lost two officers and 2, O. Ranks
wounded, and seven killed, a rate which, if kept up,
would soon ver)" seriously deplete our ranks.
On reaching Ouderdom, we found that some huts on

.LEUL

THE SALIENT.

the Vlamertinghe voad had now been allotted us instead
of out bivouac field, and as on the following day it
rained hard, we were hot sorry. Our satisfaction, how-
ever, was short-lived, for the hut roofs were of wood
only, and leaked in so manv places that many were
absotutel,, uninhabitable and had tobe abandoned. At
the saine time some short lengths of shelter trench which
we had dug in case of shelling vere completely filled
with water, so that anyone desiring shelter must needs
have a bath as well. This wet weather, coupled with a
previous shortage of water in the trenches, and the
generalb; unhealthy state of the salient, brought a con-
siderable amount of sickness and slight dysentry, and
although we did not send many to Hospital, the health
of the Battalion on the whole was bad, and we seemed
to have lost for the time our energy. Probably a fort-
night in good surroundings would bave cured us
completely, and even after eight davs at rest we were
in a better state, but on the 13th we vere once more
ardered into the line and the good work was undone,
for the sickness returned with increased vigour.
Between the Railway Cutting at " Hill 60 " and the
Comlnes Canal further south, the lines at this time were
very close together, and atone point, called Bomb
Corner, less than 50 yards separated out parapet from
the Boche's. This sector, cntaining trenches " 35 "
at Bomb Corner, " 36 " and " 37 " up to the Railway,
was held bv the 1st Norfolks of the 5th Division, who
were finding their own reliefs, and, with one company
resting at-a time, had been more than two months in
this same front line. On the llth July the Boche ble
a mine under trench " 37 " doing considerable damage
to the parapet, and on the following night " 36 " was

46 THE FIFTH LEICESTER.'qHIRE.

similarly treated, and a length of the trench blotted out.
Tbe night after this we came in to relieve the Norfo]ks,
who hot unnaturally were expecting " 35 " to share the
saine fate, and had consequently evacuated their front
line for the night, while thev sat in the second line and
waited for it to go up in the air. Captain Jefferies with
" D " Company took over ":5," vhile the two damaged
trenches were held by "B " Company (Capt. J. L.
Griffiths). " A " and " C " held a keep near Verbran-
den Molen--an old mill about three hundred vards behind
our front line--and 13attalion Headquarters lived in some
dug-outs in the woods behind " 35." Behind this again,
the solitarv Blaupoort Farm provided R.A.P. and ration
dump with a certain amount of cover, though the number
of dud shells in tbe courtvard ruade it necessar 3, to walk
with extreme caution on a dark night. In spire of the
numerous reports of listening posts, who heard
"' rapping underground," we were hot blown up during
our four days in residence, and out chier worry was hot
mines, but again xhizz-bangs. One batterv was parti-
cularly offensive, and three rimes on the 15th Capt.
Griffiths had his parapet blé-wh away bv salvoes of these
very disagreeable little shells. One's parapet in this
area was one's trench, for di,,in,,t, t, was impossible, and
we lived behind a sort of glorified sandbag grouse butt,
six feet thick at the base and two to three feet at the
top, sometimes, but hot ahvay's, bullet-proof.
One or two amusing stories are told about the
infantry opposite " :35," who were Saxons, and inclined
to be friendlv with the English. On one occasion the
following message, tied to a stone, was thrown into out
trench : " We are going to send a JOlb. bomb. \Ve
bave got to do it, but don't want to. I will comme this

THE SALIENT. 47

evening, and we will whistle first to warn you." Ail of
this happened. A few davs later thev apparently
rnistusted the German official news, for they sent a
further message saying, " Send us an English news-
paper that we may learn the veritv."
The weather throughout the tour was bad, but on the
night of 17th/18th, when we were relieved at midnight
bv the Sherwood Foresters, it became appalling. Ve
were hot vet due for a rest, having bcen onlv four days
in the line, and out ordcrs wcre to spend the night in
bivouacs at Kruisstraat and return to trenches the fol-
lowing evening, taking over out old sector " 50 " to
" A7." ,Veakened with sickness and soaked to the
skin, we stumbled through black darkness along the
track to Kruisstraat--three mlles of slippery mud and
water-logged shell holes--onlv to find that out bivouac
field was flooded, and we must march back to Ouderdom
and spend the night in the huts, rive mlles further
west. We reached h.ome as dawn was breaking, tired
out and wet through, and lay down at once to snatch
what sleep we eould before moving off again at 6-30
p.m. But for manv it was too much, and 150 men
reported sick and were in such a weak condition that
they were left behind at the huts, where later they were
joined by some 40 more vho had tried hard to reach
trenches but had had to give up and fall out on the
wav. The rest of us, marching slowly and b shcrt
stages, did eventuallv relieve the Sherwood Foresters,
but so tired as to be absolutelv unfit for trenches.
Fortunatelv for two davs the weather was good and
the Boche verv quiet, there was time for ail to get a
thorough rest, and bv the 20th we had very largely
recovered our vigour--xvhich was just as well, for it
troved an excltin tour.

48 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The excitement started about a mlle away on our left,
when, on the evening of the 19th, the next Division
blew up an enorm.ous mine at Hooge, and, with the aid
of an intense artillery bombardment, attacked and
captured part of the village, including the chateau
stables. The enemy counter-attacked the following
night, and, though he ruade no headway and was driven
out with heavv i,oss, he none the less bombarded out
new ground continuouslv and caused us many casualties.
Accordingly, to make a counter attraction, the Tun-
nelling Company working with us was asked to blov
up part of the enemv's lines as s.oon as possible; the
blow would be accompanied by an artillerv " strafe "
bv us. There was at this time such a network ,f mine
.alleries in front of " AI," that Lieut. Tulloch, R.E.,
was afraid that the Boche would hear him loading one
of the galleries, so, to take no risks, blew a pre-
liminary camouflêt on the evening of the 21st, destrov-
ing the enemy's nearest sap. This was successful, and
the xvork of loading and tamping the mines started at
once. 15001bs. of ammonal were packed at the end of
a gallery undernea.th the German redoubt opposite
" Al," while at the end of another short gallery a
smaller mine was laid, in order to destroy as much as
possible of his mine workings. The date chosen was
the 2:lrd, the rime î p.m.
At 6-55 p.m., having vacated " AI " for the rime,
we blew the smaller of the two mines--in order, it
was said, to attract as manv of the enemv as possible
into his redoubt. To judge by the volume of rifle tire
which came from his lines, this part of the programme
was successful, but we did hot bave long to think about
it, for at 7 p.m. the 15001bs. went off, and Boche

THE SALIENT. 49

redoubt, sandbags, and occupants went into the air,
toetber with some tons of the salient, much of which
fell into out trenches. A minute later out Artillery
opened their bombardrnent, and for the next hall hour
the enemv must bave had a thoroughly bad time in
everv wav. His retaliation was insignificant, and con-
sisted of a verv few little shells fired more or less ai
random--a disquieting feature to those of tas who knew
the Germans' love of an instant and heavv reply to out
slightest offensive action. " Stand to," the usual time
for the evening "hate," passed off verv quietly, and,
as we sat clown to out evening meal, we began to
wonder whether we were t'o bave anv reply at ail.
Meanwhile, three new officers arrived--2nd. Lieut. R.
C. Lawton, of " A " Cornpany, who had been prevented
by sickness from coming abroad with us, and 2nd
Lieuts. E. E. \Vynne and N. C. Marriott, both of
wbom xere sent to " B " Conapany, where they joined
Capt. Griffitbs at dinner. Thev were half wav thrcmgh
their meal when, without the slightest warning, the
ground heaved, pieces of the roof fell on the table,
and thev heard the ominous whirr of falling clods,
which betokens a rnine at cl.ose quarters.
Belote the débris had stopped falling, Capt. Griffiths
was out of lais dug-out and scrambling along h[s half-
filled trench, to final out what had happened. Reaching
the right end of " 50," he round his front line had
been completely des.troyed, and xvhere his listening
post had been, was now a large crater, into which
the Boche was firing trench mortars, while heavy rifle
tire came from his front line. Except tor a few
wounded men, he could see nothing of Serjt. Bunn
and the garrison of the trench, most of whom he soon

50 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

realized must have been buried, where the tip of the
crater had engulfed what had been the front line. For
ab'out 80 vards no front line existed, nor had he
suflcient men in the left of his trench to bring across
to help the right, .o, sending down a report of
condition, he started, with anv orderlies and batmen
he ould collçct, to rescue those of his C3mpany who
had been onlv partially buried. Meanwhile, help was
coming from two quarters. On the right, Colonel
Mar.tin, of th 4th Battalion, also disturbed at dinner,
was soon up in " 49 " trench, where he fcund that
left flank had also suffered from the explosion, but
hot so badlv. His first thought was to form some
c.onth»uous line of defence across the gap, if po,ssible
linking up with the crater at the saine time, and, with
this object in view he personally reconnoitred the ground
and dscovered a small disused trench running in front
of " 49 " towards the crater. Quickly organizing
parties of men, he sent them along this cut, first to
continue it up to the crater, then with sandbags for
the defence of the " lip." He himself superintended
the work inside the crater, where he had a mlraculcus
escape from a trench mortar, which wounded all stand-
ing round him. At the saine rime, R.S.M. Small,
finding a dazed man of " B " Company wander[ng near
Battalin Headquarters, heard what had happened,
and without waiting for further orders sent off everv
available man he could find with shovels and sandbags
to assist Çapt. Griflths. Hall an hour later, Capt.
Bland alto arrived with tvo platoons of " C " Company,
sent acros. from the left of our line, and by dawn with
their help a trench had been cut through frçn " 50 "
to " 49." This, though hot organized for defence, vet

Hthenzollern lXIemorial.

The  a£er Tower and Railway Track,
Vermelles.

THE SALIENT. 51

enabled one to pass through the damaged area. At the
saine time the miners started to make a small tunnel
into the bottom of the crater, so that it would no longer
be necessary to climb over the lip to reach the bomb
post which was built inside.
During the next day we were fortunately hot much
harassed by the encre.v, and were consequently able to
continue the repair work on "50." "'B" Company
had had -t2 casualties from the mine itself, of whom
eight were killcd and seven, including Sergt. Bunn,
xere missing, while in the rest of the Battalion about
30 men were wounded, mostly bv trench mortars or
rifle tire when digging out " 50 " trench. At the time
of the explosion the enemy had thrown several bombs
at " A'-'," and it was thought for a time that he intended
making an attack here, but rapid tire was opened by
the garriso.n, and nothing followed. On the evening of
the ;21th we were due for relief, but, as " 50 " was still
only partially cleared, and we had hot vet traced all
our missing, we staved in f'o,r another 24 hours, during
which time we thoro.ughly reorganized the sector, and
were able to hand over a properly traversed tire trench
to the Lincolnshires when they came in. Before we
left we round Sergt. Bunn's body; he had been buried
at his post, and was still holding in his hand the tiare
plstol which he was g.oing to tire when the mine ex-
ploded. The men of the listening post were hot round
until some rime later, for they had been throxvn several
hundred vards by the explosion.
On relief, we marched back to Ouderdom, takin K
with us the otïïcers and men of the 17th Division,
wlm. had been a.ttached for in.struction during the last

52 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

tour, and reached a bivouac field near the windmill at
4-:30 a.m. Here xve staved 24 hours, and then moved
into the "E " huts--an excellent camp, further E.
along the Vlamertinghe road than that which ve had
previously occupied. We ere due to remain here for
six days, and accordingly started out usual training
in bomb and bayonct fighting. Meanwhile, Lieut.
Moore and the Battalio.n Tunnellers were once more
hard at work helping the R.E. in " 50 " and " Al."
and on the :0th July two of them, Serjt. J. Emmerson
and l'te. H. G. Starbuck, working underground, came
upon a (;erman gallery. Vithout a moment's hesitation,
Starbuck broke in and round that the charge was
alreadv laid, and wires could be seen leading back to
the enemv's lines. If the (;ermans had heard him at
xxork there was no doubt that thev would blow their
mine at once, but heedless of this danger, he staved in
the gallery until he had cut the leads, and so ruade it
possible for the Engineers to remove the hall ton of
" Vestphalite " which they round alreadv in position,
immediately under " t9." For their daring work, the
two miners were awarded the I).C.M., Starbuck getting
his at once, Serjt. Emmerson in the next honours list.
Two nights later the enemv suddenlv opened rapid rifle
tire opposite "49," which equally suddenly died away, and
we like to think that some Boche oNcer had at the
saine rime pressed the starting button to explode his
" Vestphalite," only to find that nt3thing happened.
Towards the end of June, there appeared in the
German oncial communiqué a statement that the French
had been using liquid tire in the Champagne fighting,
and those who had studied the Boche methods recog-
nized this as a warning that he intended to make use

THE SALIENT. 53

o.f it himself at an early date. The prophets were right,
and at dawn on the 30th July" the encre.v, anxious to
recapture Hooge, attacked the llth Division who were
holding the village, preceding the attack with streams
of liquid tire, under which the garrison either succumbed
or were driven out. At the saine time an intense bom-
bardment was opened, and we, whose test was hot due
to end until the fo.llowing da3" , were ordered to stand
bv readv to more at 30 minutes' no.tice. As we waited
we wondered whcther the 3rd Battle of Ypres had
begun, there certainlv seemed to be enough noise. By
mid-day, however, we had not been used, and as no
news of the battle reached us we xxere preparing to
settle down a.ain for an¢her dav of peace, when at
2-30 p.m. orders came for us to go to Kruisstraat at
once. \Ve marched by Companies, and on arrival
bivouacked in a field close to the Indian Transport Lines,
xvhere we met several Battalions of the 3rd l)ivision on
their wa.v up to Hooge, though they were unable to tell
us anything definite about" what had happened. The
wildest rumours were heard everywhere, that the Ger-
mans had used burning oil, vitriol, and almost everv
other acid ever invented, that the salient was broken,
that out l)ivision had been surro,unded. One thing
was certain--that at 4: p.m. the gunfire had almost
ceased, and there was no sign of anv German near
'pres.
As soon as it was dark we left Kruisstraat and
marched bv Bridge 14: and Zillebeke to Maple Copse,
where we were told to bivouac for the night, still being
readv to move at verv short notice if required. Here
we round a Battalion of the Sherwood Foresters, from
whom we were at last able to learn the truth of the

,-,q4 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

morning's battle. It appeared that at dawn the enemy,
carrying flame projectors, had crept close up to the front
line trenches in Hooge, and suddenly lighting these
machines had sent a spray of burning vaporised oil over
the trench. The garrison, 1-tth Division, were surprised,
manv of them burnt, and all throxxn into confusion,
during which the Boche atacked in considerable force,
drove them out a]d broke in as far as Zouave \Vood.
The left of the Sherwood Foresters had been attacked,
but stood firm, even though the Germans in Zouave
\Vood were almost behind them, until General Shipley
ordered the flank to be dropped back to conform with
the new line. A counter-attack was delivered during the
dav by two Battalions of the Rifle Brigade, who, relieved
the night belote, had marched eight mlles out to test
and eiht mlles back again at once, and were hopelessly
tired belote thev started. In spite of this, thev
ruade a gallant effort, and were wiped out almost to a
man in Zouave \Vood. At the time of the morning
attack the Germans could if they liked bave walked on
into Ypres, fcr thev had broken into the salient, and
there was no other organized line of defence betxeen
them and the town. Fortunatelv thev did hot realise
this, or, as is more probable, they never imagined that
their flame attack would prove so successful. Still,
they might make a further effort at anv moment, and it
was to meet this that we had been mved into Maple
Copse.
Al1 through the night and the following dav there
were continua1 short artillery bombardments bv both
sides, and on four occasions the Copse was shelled with
salvoes of shrapnel in rapid succession. As note more
than hall of us had any sort of dug-outs, and the

THE SALIENT. 55

remainder had to rely mainly on tree trunks for pro-
tection, out casualties were fairly lieavy, and in a short
time we had lost 23 wounded, including H. ,Vest, the
mess cook, L.-Corpl. J. H. Cramp, and several other
notabilities. \Ve might, during the day, have built
ourselves some sort of oover, but everv available man
had to be sent carrying bombs, ammunition, and trench
mortars for the Sherxvod Foresters, whose left flank was
constantlv in touch with the enemy. One o{ these car D-
ing parties round by " D " Company had the misfortune
to be led by a guide, who lost his way, into the corner
of Zouave \Vood, and in a few minutes six of them xvere
wounded bv a machine gun which opened tire on them at
twentv vards" range; they were carried out by the test
of the party, who escaped under cover of the brushwood,
but one, Çarroll, died a few davs later. Bv the evening
of the a/st the situation was more satisfactory, and a
new front line trench had been organized vest of the
wood, linking up with the Sherwood Foresters, who now
no longer required carrying parties. Meanwhile, it was
discovered that from his newlv captured position, the
Boche completely overlooked the track from Zillebeke
to Maple Copse, and accordingly we were ordered to
start at once to dig a communicatboaa trench alongside
the track. Ail that night, the next da3- , Bank Holiday,
and the following night, we worked till we could hardlv
hold out shovels, and by the time we stopped, at dawn
on the rd, there was a trench the whole way'--not ver}"
deep in places and hot perhaps verv scientificallv dug,
but still en.ough to give cover. As soon as work was
over xve returned to the copse and slept, for at dusk that
night we were to go once more to the line and relieve
the Lincolnshires in " 50 " to " Aî." Maple Copse had
cost us altogether 35 killed and wounded.

• 56 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

\Ve found the trenches verv much as we had left them
except th&t " AI " had been battered into an almost
unrecognizable condi.tion bv the enemv's latest trench
weapon, the heavv Minenwerfer. Unlike the " Rum
Jar " or " Cannister," which was a home-ruade article
c'osisting of anv old tin filled with explosive, this new
bomb was shaped like a shell, fitted with a copper driving
band and fired from a rifled mortar. It weighed over
2001bs., was eilher two feet two inches or three feet six
in.ches long and nine inches in diameter, and produced
on exploding a crater as big as a small mine. It could
fortunately be seen in the air, and the position of the
mortar was roughly known, o we posteoe a sentrv whose
duty was to listen for the report of discharge, sight the
bomb, alld crv at the top of his voice " Sausage left "
or " Sausage ri.ht." Our Artillerv had tried hard to
destroy the mortar, but it apparently had a small railway
to itself, alld moved awav as s.oon as we opened tire.
For retaliation we had nothing except rifle grenades,
which were like flea-bites to an elephant, or the Howit-
zers, who bad to be called on the telephone, all of which
took time.
The test of the line was fairlv quiet except for a few
small "sausages" on trench "5," and our chier concern
xvas now the shortage of men. In those davs a trench was
hot considered adequately .arrisoned tln]ess there were at
least three men in everv tire bay, so that although xve
had manv more men to the vard than we bave many
times had since, we imagined, when we round it neces-
sarv to have one or two empty tire bays, that we were
impossibly weak. So much was this the case, that, on
the night of the 4th Atlgust, C.Q.M. Serjeants Gorse
alld Gilding were ordered to bring all available men from

THE SAL1ENT. 57

the stores at Poperinghe to belp hold tbe line--a most
unpleasant journey because the Boche, ahvavs fond of
celebrating anniversaries, co,mmemorated the declaration
of war witb a " strafe " of special magnitude. As most
of this came between Ypres and Zillebeke, tbe two
Iuarter-master Serjeants had a harassing rime, and
did hot reach their bivouacs in Poperingbe until 5-15 the
following morning. Ail through tbe tour tbe pounding
of " A1 '" continued, wbile out onh" eflort at retaliation
vas a I;01b. mortar vhich tbe Royal Garrison Artillerv
placed in rear of " ;'»Il " trencb. "l'bis one dav fired
six rounds, tbe last of whicb fell in the German front
line, and for near|v tventv-four hours we were left in
peace, while a '" switch " line was built across the back
of " AI " salient. Ail hope o,f ever recovering the old
" AI " was given up.
Meanwbile, the l)ivision on our left was not being idle.
For the past week out Artillerv in tbe salient bad fired
a ball-bout bombardment everv morning at '2-5, and
on tbe 9th tbis was repeated as usual. The Boche had
become used to it, and retired to his dug-outs, where be
was round a few minutes later bv the 6th l)ivision, who
had relieved the llth, and were now trying to recapture
all tbe lost ground. Tbe surprise was perfect, and the
enemy, never for a moment expecting an attack at that
bout, were killed in large numbers before thev could
even " stand-to." I)uring tbe battle "_'01 of the 4th
Lincolnslires occupied out support trenches, in case of
anv trouble on out front, and in the evening the test of
tbe Battalion arrived and took over tbe llne, wbile we
replaced tbem in Brigade Support--Battalion Head-
quarters, " B " and " C " Companies in the " Lake "
dug-outs, "A " and " 1)" Companies in the Barracks
of Ypres.

58 THE FIFTI-[ LEI('ESTERSHIRE.

During the next six days we xxere worked harder than
we had been xrked before, digging, carrying, and
trench revetting. Fortunately both halves of the
Battalion had fairlv comfortable quarters to which to
return after work was over, though those in Ypres lived
a somewbat nois)' life. The barracks ere close to the
centre of the town, and each dav the Boche fired his
17in. Howitzer from dawn to dusk, mostly at the
Cathedral and Çlotb Hall, with occasional pauses to
shoot at the Ecole de Bienfaisance, just outside the
Menin gate. The shell, arriving with great regularity
everv 15 minutes, was generally knwn as the " Ypres
express," for it arrived with the most terrif.ving roar,
buried itself deep in the ground before exploding, and
then ruade an enorm.ous crater. As it burst, hot onlv
did everv house shake, but the whole street seemed to
lift a few feet in the air and settle down again. In the
barracks we had bricks and falling débris from the
Cloth Hall, but nothing more, and these slight disadvan-
tages were easilv outweighed bv the c,o,mfort in which we
lived. Everv man had a bed, and, as the barracks' water
supply was still in working order, we ail had baths.
A piano was borrowed from tbe Artillery, and provided
us with an excellent concert, which vas held in one of
the larger rooms, and helped us to forget the war for a
time, in spite of a *0-foot crater in the Barrack Square,
and the ever-present possibility that another would
arrive. Incidentally, the piano became later a cause of
much trouble to us, for the police refused to allow us to
more it through the streets without a permit from the
Town Major; the Town Major would have nothing to
do with the matter, having only just arrived in place of
his predecessor, who had given us permission to bave

THE SALIENT. 59

the piano, and had then been wunded (Town Majors
never lasted long in Ypres) ; and the Gendarmerie would
not accept responsibility, so in the end we had to leave
it in the barracks. The o.ther txvo companies, though
not so comfortablv housed, n'one the less had an enioy-
able time bv the lake side, chasing the wild fowl, and
xvatching the shelling of Ypres.
Just at this time several changes took place in the
personnel of the Brigade and the Battalion. First, Brig.-
Gen. G. C. Kemp, R.E., late C.R.E., 6th Division, xvas
appointed our Brigade Cmmander in place of General
Clifford, who left us to take up an appointment in
England, having been exactlv six monlhs in command.
Capt. Bromfield, our Adjutant, whose health had been
bad for the past month, was finallv compelled to go to
Hospital, whence he was sh.ortly afterwards transferred
to England. As his assistant, Lieu.t. Vincent was also
awav sick, Lieut. Langdale was appointed Adjutant,
while nd Lieut. C. H. F. \Vollaston took the place of
Lieut. A. T. Sharpe as machine gun OEcer, the latter
having left sick to Hospital at the end of July. Lieut.
Moore sprained his ankle, and nd Lieut. R. C. L. Mould
went down with lever, both being sent home, and with
them went 2nd Lieut. L. H. Pearson, vho had severe
concussion, as the result of being knocked dovn bv a
Minenwerfer bomb. Capt. Bland became -°nd in com-
mand with the tank of Major, and Captain R. Hastings
and Lieut. R. D. Farmer vere now commanding "A "
and "C " Companies. Capt. M. Barton, our original
medical officer, had cne out in June and relieved Lieut.
Manfield, who had been temporarily taking his place.
\Ve had als,o one reinforcement--nd Lieut. G. B.
\Villiams, posted to " D " Company, who the following

t30 THE FIFTH LEit'ETERSHIRE.

tour lost 2nd Lieut. C. R. Knighton wh.o. sprained his
knee. At the saine rime Serjt. A. Garratt, of "A "
Company, became C.S.M. of " I)" in place of C.S.M.
J. Cooper, who was sent home xvith lever.
On the 16th August we went once more to the line for
a six-day to.ur, which pr,cwed to be the first in which out
artillery began to show a distinct superiority to the
encrer's, not onlv in accuracv but in weight of shell.
Several 8 n and 9.2 « Howitzers appeared in the Salient
and, on the evening of the 18th, we carried out an
organized bombardment of the lines opp,osite " 50 "
trench, paying special attention to the neighbourhood of
the Minenwerfer. The accuracy of these large
Howitzers was surprising, and thev obtained several
direct bits on the Boche front line, the resulting
display o.f flying sandbags and trench timbers being
watched with the utmost pleasure bv almost everv man
in the Battalion. The enemv retaliated with salvoes of
whizz-bangs on " ,)0," and a few on " AI; " and " A7,"
but did hot carrv out anv extensive bombardment,
though, when relieved bv the Lincolnshires on the 2nd,
we had had upwardse,f 45 casualties. Among the killed
was L/Cpl. Biddles of " A " Çompany, who had risked
death manv times on patrol, onlv to be hit when sitting
quietly in a trench eating lais breakfast. This N.CO.,
old enough to bave lais son serving in the company with
him, was never happier than when wandering about in
No Man's Land, either bv dav or night, and from the
first to the last dav of everv tour he spent lais time
either patrolling, or preparing for lais next patrol. Earlv
in the morning of the :ard we reached once more the
hu'ts at Ouderdom, having at last had the sense to have
the limbers to meet us at Kruisstraat to carrv packs,

THE S.kLIENT. 61

which at this rime we alwavs too.k into the line with us.
\\'e had been awav from even but civilisation for twentv-
four days--quite long enough when those davs have o
be spent in the mud, noise and discomfort of the Salient.
Out rest, while fortunatelv comparatively free of
working parties, contained txvo features of interest, an
inspection bv our new Brigadier, and an oflîcers' cricket
match a.¢ainst the 16th Lancers. For the first we were
able, with the aid of a recentlv-arrived draft of 100 men,
to parade moderatelv strong, and Gen. Kemp was well
sa, tisfied xvith out " turn-out." It was, however, to be
regretted that the onlv soldier to xhom he spoke hap-
pened to be a blacksmith, for which trade xe had the
previous dav sent to Brigade Headquarters a " nil "
return. The cricket match was a .reat success, and
thanks to some excellent battin. bv Lieut. Langdale, we
came awav victorious. The light training which we
carried out each dav now included a verv considerable
amount of bomb throwing, and it seemed as though the
bomb was to be ruade the chier weapon of the infantrv
soldier, instead of the rifle and ba.v,net, which alwavs
bas been, and alwavs xvill be, a far better weapon than
anv bomb. However, the new act had to be learnt,
and a Battalion bomb squad was soon formed under
2nd Lieut. R. \\'ard Jackson, whose chier assistants
were L/Cpl. R. H. Goodman, Ptes. \V. H. Hallam, P.
Bowler, E. [. Hewson, A. Archer, F. \Vhitbread, J. \V.
Percival and others, manv of whom afterwards became
N.C.O.'s. Everv oflîcer and man had to throw a lire
grenade, and, as there were eight or nine different kinds,
he also had to bave some mechanical knowledge, while
the instructor had to know considerably rnre about
explosives than a sapper.

6 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The excitement of out next tour started before e
reached Kruisstraat. Ail dav long {the :8th August} a
single 9." Howitzer had been firing behind a farm bouse
on the track to the lndian Transport Field, and, as we
marched past the position b.v platoons, ail of us interested
in watching the loading process, it suddenlv blew up,
sending breach-block, sheets o.f cast iron and enormous
fragments of base plate and carriage several hundred
vards through the air. We tan at once to the nearest
cover, but three men were lait bv falling fragments, and
we were luckv trot to lose m,o.re, for several of us, includ-
ing °nd Lieut. J. Dë. Tomson, had narrow escapes. We
eventuallv reached the line, and relieved the Lincoln-
shires in Trenches " 49 " to " A3." Thc 3rd l)ivision
had now taken " A4 " to " AT." Three davs later -°nd
Lieuts. H. Moss, N. C. Stoneham and C. B. Clay joined
us, and were posted to "A," "D'" and "B" Companies
respectively. At the saine rime :-'nd Lieut. J. D. Hills
was appointed Brigade Intelligence Ocer, a new post
just introduced bv General Kemp.
\Ve suflered the usual scattered shelling and trench
mortaring during the first half of the tour, to which out
Artillery could onlv repl.v lightly because they were
saving amrnunition for an organised bombardment
further North. However, no serious damage was done,
so this did hot matter. The bombardment took place
at dawn on the 1st September, and in reply the Germans,
instead of shelling the left as was expected, concentrated
ail their efforts on the " 50,'" " A1 " corner, starting
with salvoes of whizz-bangs, and finishing with a heavv
shoo,t, 8 u, 5.9 « and shrapnel, from 10.45 to mid-dav.
Out Artillerv replled at once, but nothing would stop
the Boche, who had the most extraordinary good fortune

THE SALIENT. 63

in hitting out dug-olts, causing manv casualties. 2nd
Lieut. Clay, not yet 1 h3urs in trenches, was among
the first to be wounded, and soon afterwards Serjt. B.
Smith, of "B " Company, received a bad wound, to
which he succumbed a few hours later. In "A"
Company, except for C.S.M. Gorse's and the .qignallers',
everv dug-out was lait, and C. E Scott and F.
l'ringle, the two olîicers" batmen, were killed, whilc A.
H. Cassell was badlv woundcd. The ollàcers themselves
had two miraculous cscapes, l'ïrst, 2nd Lieuts. Tomson
and Moss were sitting in their dug-out, when a 5.9 rr dud
passed straight through the roof and on into the ground
almost grazing :nd Lieut. Tomson's side. These two
then went round to wake Capt. Hastings, who was rest-
ing in another dug-out, and the three had only just left,
when this too was blown in, burying Capt. Hastings'
Sain Broxvne belt and all lais papers. Many brave
deeds were donc during the shelling, two of which stand
out. T. XVlaitbread, of " A " Company, hearing of the
burying of the two officers' servants, rushed to the spot,
and, regardless of the shells which were falling ail round,
started to dig them out, scraping the earth away with his
hands, until joined bv Sergeants Gore and Baxter, who
came up with shovels. The other, whose work cannot
be passed over, xvas out 3I.O., Captain Barton. Always
calm and collected, )'et alwavs first on the spot if any
were xvounded, he seemed to be in his element during a
bombardment, and this dav was no exception. He was
everywhere, tying up wounds helping the Stretcher
Bearers, encouraging everyone he met, and manv a
soldier owed his lire to the ever-present " Dot."
On the 2nd September we were relieved by the Lincoln-
shires again, and once more became Brigade reserve for

64 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

six days--six of the most unpleasant davs we spent in
the Salient. First the Railwav dug-outs, to which
Battalion Headquarters and hall the Battalion should
have gone, had been so badlv shelled while the Lincoln-
shires were there that onlv one company was allowed to
go, while the remainder were sent to bivouac at Kruis-
straat. The fine weather came to an end the saine da},
and it rained hard all the tirne, which would bave been
bad enough in bivouacs, and was worse for us who had
to spend most of out dav on some working party, either
dug-outs, or tr.ving to drain some hopelessly water-
logged communication trench, such as the one from
Manor Farm to Square \Vood. Altogether ve had a
poor time, and vere quite glad on the 8th to return to
trenches, where we were joined two davs later bv Lieut.-
Col. C. H. Jones, who had returned from England and
took over command. He had had the greatest difficultv
in returning to France, and it was onlv when he had
applied to the \Var Office for command of a Brigade in
Gallipoli that the authorities at last took notice of him
and sent him back to ris. On his arrival Maior Toller
resumed lais duties of 2nd in command; Maior Bland
was at the time in England sick.
The arrival of an ohScer reinforcement was alwavs the
signal for a Boche strafe, and the return of the Cotonel
thev celebrated with a two davs' " hate " instead of
one. " AI '" and " 50 " and their supports suffered
most, and rnuch damage to trenches was done bv heavv
Minenwerfer, 8" and 5.9 « shells. Towards evening the
situation became quieter, but iust before 10 o'clock the
Boche exploded a camouflet against one of out " A1 "
mine galleries, and killed three Tunnellers, whose bodies
we couid hot rescue owing to the gasses in the mine,

THE SALIE1RT. 65

which remained there for more than twentv-four hours.
The next dav the bombardment of " 50 " and " 50S "
continued, and anongst other casualties, which were
heav.v, Capt. J. L. Gritfiths and 2nd Lieut. R. B. Farrer
of "B " Company were both hit and had to be
evacuated, the one with 13, the other 35 small fragments
of shell in him. The enemv had now become so persis-
tent that we asked for help fr, om our heavv artillery, and
the following dav--our last in the line--we carried out
several organized bombardments of important enemv
centres, such as " Hill 6," to which he replied with a
few more large " crumps " on " 50 " support and was
then silent. In the evening the Lincolnshires took o.ur
place, and, having lost l l killed and 39 wounded in 6
days, we marched back to rest at Dickebusch buts.
For some considerable time there had been manv
rumours about a coming autumn offensive on out part,
and on the 2"'nd September, having returned to trenches
two davs previously, we received our first orders about
it. \Ve were told nothing very definite except that the
3rd and 14th I)ivisions would attack at Hooge, while
we ruade a vigorous demonstration to draw retaliation
from their front to ourselves, and that there would also
be attacks on other parts of the British front. \Ve were
to make a feint gas attack bv throwing smo,ke-bombs
and lighting straw in front of our parapet, to frighten
the Boche into expecting an attack along the " Hill 60 "
--Sanctuarv \Vood front. Çapt. Burnett and lais trans-
port were, therefore, ordered to bring up wagon-loads
of straw, much to their annoyance, for thev alreadv had
a bad journey every night with the rations, and extra
horses meant extra anxietv. It was seldom that the
transport reached Armagh \Vood without being shelled

l;f] THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

e.n an erdinary night, and whenever there was fighting
in any part of the Salient, the area round Maple Copse
becarne so hot that they had to watch for an opportunity
and gallop through. In spite of this they never failed
us, and rations always arrived, even in trie worst of
tirnes.
On the 23rd there xvere two prelirninary bornbard-
ments, one short but verv heavy at Hooge, the other
lasting rnost of the rnorning on " Hill 60 "--a bluff.
During the night it rained and the arrival of our straw
was consequently postponed until the follo,wing night,
which proved to be little better. The wagons were late
and there was hot rnuch tirne to cornplete out task;
however, ail worked their utrnost, and bv 1.0 a.rn. on
the "25th a line of darnp straw had been spread al.ong
our wire in front of " 50." Unfortunately, the Bat-
talion on our right were unable to put their straw in
position in tirne, but as the Brigade beyond thern had
theirs, we thought this would hot rnake any difference
to the cperation. Just before daylight a general order
frorn G.H.Q. arrived, starting with the words, "At
Dawn, on the 25th Septernber, the British Arrnies will
take the offensive on the XVestern Front." \Ve felt
that the tirne had now corne xhen the war was going to
be won and the Boche driven out of France, and sorne of
us were a little sorry that our part was to consist of
nothing rnore than setting tire to sorne darnp straw.
At 3.50 a.rn. Hooge battle started with an intense
artillerv bornbardrnent from every gun in the salient,
and it was an inspiring sight to stand on the ridge
behind " ,50 "' trench and watch, through the half-light,
the line of flashes to the west, an occasional glare show-
ing us the towers of Ypres over the trees. The Gerrnans

THE SALIENT. 137

replied at once on " A1 " trench, but finding that we
remained quiet, their batteries soon ceased tire and
opened instead on Sanctuarv \Vood and Hooge. This
was expected, for it vas not in the initial attack, but
during the consolidation that the :rd 1)ivision vanted to
draw the enemv's tire. At a few minutes belote six
out time had corne, smoke bombs were throvn, and,
though the wind was against us, Col. J,ones, [eeling that
xve must make the biggest possible display, ordered the
straw to be lit. This promptly drew tire, and in rive
minutes there was not one single gun on our side of the
Salient still firing" at Hooge, they had all turned on us.
At first sight of the smoke several machine guns had
opened tire opposite " 50 " and " 19," but these died
awav almost at once as the Boche, thoroughly frightened
at the prospect of gas, evacuated lais trenches. Half-
an-hour later he actuallv bombarded lais own lines on the
Northern slopes of " Hill 60 " with 11 tt shells, presum-
ablv imaglning that we had occupied them. The bluff
was c.omplete.
But such a success cannot be purchased without loss,
and out losses had been heavy. The Staffordshires had
hot lit their straxv because of the vind, so that the
enemv's retaliation, which should have been spread along
the whole front from " A1 " to " Hill 60 " was concen-
trated entirely on out three trenches " -19," " ,50 " and
" Al." " C " Company (Lt. R. I). Farmer) in " 50 "
suffered most. Choked and blinded bv the smoke from
the strav, which blew back and filled the trench, their
parapet blown away by salvo after salvo of small shells,
their supports battered with 8 tt and heavy mortars, with
no cover against the unceasing tain of shells from front
and left, they had to bear it all in silence, unable 1:o hit

68 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

back. Serjts. J. G. Burnham and J. Birkin were
killed, and with tbern 10 others of the battalion, while 30
more were vounded. Once more the " Doc." and his
stretcher-bearers were everywhere, and rnanv who rnight
otherwise have bled to death, owed their lires to thls
rnarvellous man, wbo wandered round and dressed their
xounds wherever the sbelling was hottest. At tbe first
opening of the battle out telepbone lines to the Artillery
were broken, and for sorne tirne we could get no support»
but the Derby Howitzers and one of the Lincolnshire
batteries fired a nurnber of ro.unds for us, and later,
thanks to the efforts of Lieut. C. Morgan, R.F.A., the
F.O.O., we were able to call on Major Meynell's
Staffordshire batterv as xell. Bv 7.15 a.rn. ail was
once more quiet, and we spent the test of the day
evacuating out casualties, and trying to clear away sorne
of the lltter ,f straw frorn out trenches.
The following day passed quietly, and in the evenl-ng,
relieved bv the Lincolnshires, we rnarched out of
trenches. Ten minutes later the enernv blew up trench
'" 47 " and opened heavy rifle tire on all sides of the
salient. The Battalion was rnarching bv cornpanies,
and "A" and "D" had just reached Manor Farrn
when the noise began, and bullets fell all round thern.
Capt. Jefferies, who was leading, was hit alrnost at o,nce
and fell rnortallv wounded, never again recovering
consciousness, and several others becarne casualties
before the part 3" could reach cover on the far side of the
Farrn. " B " and " C " were still in Arrnagh \Vood,
so Colonel Jones at once decided to man the new breast-
work between it and Square \Vood, and there tbey
rernalned until the situation becarne once more quiet.
Finally, at rnidhight, we rnoved into our Brigade Sup-

THE SALIENT. 69

port positions, Headquarters and "B " Company in
Raihvav Dug-outs, '" C " Company in l)eeping Dug-o.uts
near the Lake, and the others in Kruisstraat bivouacs.
Even now we were not allowed to live in peace, for the
follmving morning, aL 11.0 a.m., the enemv bombarded
Railway Dug-outs for two hours, firing 90 8 tt shells, and
(so savs the \Var l)iary) " plenty of shrapnel." No
one was lait, though Col. Jones' dug-out and the Orderlv
Room were destroyed, and the bomb store, which was
tait and set on tire, xvas onlv saved from destruction bv
the efforts of C.S.M. Lovett, who with t'te. Love and
one or two others, fetched water from the pond and put
out the tire. From 6.30 to 7.30 p.m. the dug-outs were
again bombarded and a few m.re destroyed, so that
we were not sorry when, on the 1st October the V'ilt-
shire Regiment came to relieve us, and we marched back
to bivouacs aL Ouderdom.
On the "2nd, alLer a farewell address to the oflàcers bv
the Crps Commander, the Battalion marched during
the morning to Abeele, where aL 3.30 p.m. we entrained
for the South and said good-b.ve to the " Salient " for
ever. XVe were no.t sorrv to go, even though there were
rumours of a coming battle, and out future destination
was unknown.

CHAPTER IV.

" HOHENZOLLERN."
1st Oct., 1915. 15th Oct.» 1915.
\VE journeyed southwards in three parts. Battalion
Headquarters and the four Companies went first,
reached F.ouquereuil Station near Béthune after a six
hours" run, and marched at once to Bellerive near
Gonnehem. Here, at noon thc following day--the 3rd
October--thev were joined bv Lieut. \Vollaston with
the machine guns and ammunition limbers which had
entrained at Godewaersvelde and travelled all night, and
at 4.30 p.m., by Capt. John Burnett with the rest of
the Transport. The latter had corne by road, spending
one night in bivouacs at Vieux Berquin on the way.
This more brought us into the First Armv under Sir
Douglas Haig, who took an earl.v opportunity of being
introduced to all Commanding Officers and Adjutants
in the Division, coming to Brigade Headquarters at
Gonnehem on the afternoon of the 3rd, where Col.
Jones and Lieut. G. \V. Allen went to a conference.
Lieut. Allen had become Adjurant when Capt. Griffiths
was wounded, and Capt. Langdale was wanted for
command of "B " Company. Our other Company
Commanders remained unchanged except that Major
Bland returned from England and took charge of " D."
The billets at Bellerive, consisting of large, clean

HOHENZOLLERN. 71

farm-houses, were verv comfortable, but we were hot
destined to stay there long, and on the 6th marched
through Chocques to Hesdigneul, where there was less
accommodation. The fo,lloving day there was a
conference at Brigade Headquarters, and we learnt out
rate. On the 25th September, the opening dav of the
Loos battle, the left of the British attack had been
directed against " Fosse 8 "--a coal naine with its
machine buildings, miners' cottages and large low slag
dump--protected by a system of trenches knoxvn as the
"Hohenzollern Redoubt," standing on a small fise
vards west of the mine. This had all been captured
bv the 9th I)ivision, but owing to counter-attacks from
Auchv and Haisnes, had had to be abandoned, and the
enemv had once inore occupied the Redoubt. A second
attempt, made a few davs later bv the 28th I)ivislon,
had been disastrous, for we had had heavv casualties,
and gained practically no ground, and except on the
right, where we had occupied part of " Big \Villie "
trench, the Redoubt was still intact. Another attempt
was now to be made at an earlv date, and, while 12th
and 1st l)ivisions attacked to the South, the North
Midland vas to sveep over the Redoubt and capture
Fosse 8, consolidating a new line on the East side of it.
Apart fron the Fos.e itself, where the fortifications
and their strength vere practically unknowla, the
Redoubt alone vas a very strong point. It formed a
salient in the enelny's line and both the Northern area,
" Little \Villie," and the southern " Big \Villie," were
deep, well-fortified trenches, with several machine gun
positions. Behind these, rata from N.E. and S.E. into
the nd line of the Redoubt, two more deep trenches,
" N. Face " and " S. Face," thought to be used for

7 O THE FIFTH LEICESTERSH1RE.

communication purposes only, and leading back to
" Fosse " and " Dump " trenches nearer the slag-heap.
The last two were said to be shallow and unoccupied.
In addition to these defences, the redo,ubt and its
approach from out line were well covered bv machine
gun posts, for, on the North, " Mad l'oint " overlooked
our present front line and No Man's Land, while
" Madagascar " Cottages and the Slag-heap commanded
ail the test of the country. The scheme for the lattle
vas that the Staffordshires on the right and out Brigade
vith the Monmouthshires on the left would make the
assault, the Sherwood Foresters remain in reserve.
Before the attack there would be an intense artillerv
bombardment, which would eflectuallv deal with " Mad
t'oint " and other strongholds. In our Brigade, General
Kemp decided to attack with two Battalions side bv
side in front, 4th Leicestershires and 5th Lincolnshires,
follmved bv 4th Lincolnshires and Monmouthshires, each
extended along the whole Brigade frontage, while,
except for one or two carrying parties, he would keep
us as his own reserve. The date for the battle had hOt
been fixed, but it would probably be the 10th.
Reconnaissances started at once, and on the 8th Col.
Jones and all Company Commanders and 2nds in Com-
mand went bv motor 'bus to Vermelles, and recon-
noitred out trenches, held at the time bv the Guards
Division. Out first three lines, where the assemblv
would take place the night before the battle, were ail
carefullv reconnoitred as well as the " Up" and
" Down " communication trenches--Barts Alley, Cen-
tral, \Vater and Left Bovaus. These were simply eut
into the chalk and had not been boarded, so, with the
slightest rain, became hopelessly slippery, while to

HOHENZOLLERN. 73

make xvalking worse a drain generall.v ran down the
centre of the trench, too narrow to walk in and too
broad to allow one to walk with one foot each side.
From the front line we were able to sec the edge of
the Redoubt, Mad Point, and the mine with its buildings
and Slag-heap. The last dominated ever.vthing, and
could be seen from everwvhere. It was hot very en-
co.uraging to sec the numbers of out dead from the
previous two attacks, still lying out in No Man's l.and,
whence it had hot yet been possible to carry them in.
The party reached home soon after 5 p.m., and a feu"
minutes later a heavv bombardment in the direction of
Vermelles vas followed by an order to " stand to,"
which we did until midnight, when ail was quiet ag'ain,
and we xvere allowed to .go to bed.
The following dav the remainder of the officers and a
party of selected N.C.O.'s vent again to the line to
reconnoitre. \Vhile the, were awav we heard the
meaning of the previous night's noise. The Boche had
attacked out posts in " Big \Villie " held by a Battalion
of the Coldstream Guards, and after a long fight had
been driven back with heavy losses, leaving manv dead
behind them. Both sides had used no other weapon
than the bomb, and out success vas attributed to out
new Mills grenade, which could be throvn further and
vas casier to handle than the (.erman stick bomb, and
the Çoldstreams vere said to bave thrown more than
5,000 of these during the fight. This llttle encounter
had tvo results. First, it definitely postponed out
attack to the 13th; secondl'y, it brought the Mills
grenade into so much prominence that we were ordered
to practise with that and that only, and to ensure that
during the next three days everv man threw them

ç4, THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

frequently. At the same time we were definitely
promised that no other grenade wolld be issued during
out coming battle.
As it was hOt intended that we should go into trenches
until the night belote the assault, only very few of the
N.C.O.'s and none of the men would have anv oppor-
lunitv of previously studying  the ground. In order,
therefore, that all might be made familiar w[th the
general appearance and proportionate distances of the
various obiectives, a small scale model o,f the Redoubt
and Fosse 8 was built opposite 1)ivi.sional Headquarters
at I iosnay, and Sunday afternoon was spent in studying
this and explainingf full details to all concerned. In
the evening the Corps Commander, (;eneral Haking,
spoke to all .o,flicers of the I)ivision in the Chateau court-
yard, and told us somc further details of the attack.
'tVe xvere to be supported bv the largest artillerv con-
centration ever ruade bv the British during the war up
to that time, and there xvould be 400 guns covering
the l)ivisional front. ['nder thcir tire we need have no
fear that anv machine guns could poçssibly be left in
"Mad Point," "Madagascar," or anv of the other points
due for bombardment. At the same time he told us
that if the wind were in the right direction we should
be further assisted bv the "auxiliarv." In this case
there would be an hour's bombardment, fo,llowcd bv an
hour's " auxiliary," during which time the guns would
have to be silent because High Explosive was apt to
disperse chlorine gas. Al the end off the second hour
we should advance and find the occupants all dead.
Attaeks at daxvn and dusk had beco.me verv common
latelv and seemed to be expected by the Boche; we
would therefore attack at - p.m.

HOHENZOLLERN. 75

During the next two davs we spent most of out time
throxving Mills grenades, and certainlv round them a
very handv weapon, which could be thrown much
further than out previous patterns. \Ve also had to make
several eleventh hour changes in perso.tlnel, Major Bland
and Lieut. Allen were both compelled bv sickness to
go to Hospital--the former to England. It was ex-
ceptionally bad luck for boh, to endure the routine of
six months' trenches and training and then bave to leave
their unit on the eve of its first great fight, in which
both these officers were so keen to take part. In their
places Lieut. Hills was appointed to " l)" Company,
but as he was taken bv General Kemp for Intelligence
\Vork, 2nd Lieut. G. B. Villiams t.ook command. No
one was appointed Adjutant, and Colonel Jones decided
that as oflicers were scarce he and Major Toller would
between them share the work at Battalion Headquarters.
Two new officers also arrived and were posted, 2nd
Lieut. G. T. Shipsto.n to " C " and 2nd Lieut. L. Trevor
Jones to " 1)'" Co.mpany.
On the 12th, after some last words of advice from
Colonel Jones, who addressed the Battalion, we set off
to match to trenches, wearing what afterwards became
known as " Fighting Order," with great coats rolled
and strapped to out backs. The Brigade band accom-
panied us through Verquin, and a Staffordshire band
played us into Saillv Labourse, where General Montagu-
Stuart-'Vortlev watched us turn on to the main road.
There was an hour's halt for teas between here and
Noyelles, and finallv at 10-5 p.m. we marched into
Vermelles. The next eight hours were bad, for it took
eight hours to reach out assemblv position, the third
]ineeight hours standing in hopelessly congested coin-

'6 THE FIFTH LEICESTERbH[RE.

munication trenches, waiting to mowe forward. For
rnen heavilv laden--each carried six sandbags and every
third man a shovel--this delav was verv tiring, for it
rneant continuous standing ith no room to test, and
resulted in out arriving in thc line tired out, to find that
it was alreadv tirne to bave breakfasts. The Reserve
Line was full of troops, but it was found possible to give
all a hot breakfast, and manv managed to snatch a
couple of hours" sleep bcfore the bombardment opened
at 12 noon.
Compared with the bombardments of the Somme and
the later battles, our bombardment was small, but it
seemed to us at the rime terrific, and it was verv en-
couraging to see direct bits on the mine workins and
the various trenches. The enernv retaliated mostlv on
communication trenches, using sorne verv heaw" shells,
but hot doing a great deal of damage. At 1 p.m.
chlorine gas was discharged from cvlinders packed in
o,ur front line, and at the sarne rime a quantity of smoke
bombs and mortar shells were fired towards the Redoubt
by parties of our Divisional Artillery who were hot
covering us in the battle. The enemv at once altered
his retaliation targets, and opened a heavv tire on out
front line, trying to burst the gas cylinders, and suc-
ceeding in filling the trench with gas in three places
by so doing. At 1-50 p.m. the gas and smoke was
gradually diminished and allowed to disperse, and, ten
min.utes later, vearing gas helmets rolled on their
heads, the leading waves rnoved out to the assatdt.
The start was disastrous. Colonel Martin and his
Adjutant were both wounded, Colonel Sandall was
wounded and his Adjutant killed in the first few minutes,
and the machine gun tire along the whole of out front

HOHENZOLLERN. 77

was terrific. Still, the nature of the ground aflorded
thern sorne protection and thev pushed forward, lo..sin(
heavilv at everv step, until thev had crossed the first line
of the Redoubt. The 4th Lincolnshires and Monrnouth-
shires fo.llowed, and we moved up towards the front
line so as tobe readv if required, and at the same time
a party of our Signallers went forward to lav a line
to the newly captured position. L.-Corpl. Fisher him-
self took the table and, re.ardless of the machine gun
tire, calmlv reeled out his line across No Man's Land,
passed through the cnemv's wire and reached the
Redoubt. Communication was established, and we were
able to learn that ail wavcs had crossed the first Gerrnan
line and were going forward against considerable oppo-
sition. Meanwhile, on the right the Staffordshires had
fared far worse even than our Brigade. Starting frorn
their second line, they were more exposed to rnachine
gun tire from all sides, and verv few reached even their
.own front line, whilst row upon row were wiped out in
their gallant effort to advance.
In case of faîlure and the consequent necessity of
holding our original front line against strong counter
attacks, it had been arranged that our machine guns
should take up permanent positions in this line. This
was donc, and Lieut. ,Vollaston was supervising the
vork of his tearns and improving their positions when
he saw that a considerable number of rnen were cominç
back fr,m the Redoubt. Their officers and N.C.O.'s
killed, they thernselves, worn otut bv the exertions of the
past 24 hours, hall gassed by the chlorine which still
hung about the shell holes, shot at by machine guns
frorn every quarter, had been broken by bornbing attacks
from everv trench they attacked and now, having

78 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

thrown all their bombs, xvere coming back. The
situation was critical, and Lieut. \VoIlaston, deciding
to leave his guns noxv that they xvere in good positions,
ruade lais xvav along the trench and tried tc raiiv the
stragglers. Many were too badly shaken to go forward
again, but some answered lais call and coIiecting some
more grenades the little party .tarted back towards the
Redoubt. Lieut. \VoIiaston was knocked doxvn and
wounded in the back bv a shell, but stili went forward,
and, reaching the first German line, turned left towards
" Little \Villie," which the Boche xvas stiii holding in
force. At the saine time (;enerai Kemp ordered two of
our Companies to be sent up to assist, and Colonel
Jones sent word to " B " and " A " to more up. One
message from ttie Redoubt which reached Colonel Jones
at this time said " Piease send bombs and officers."
Captain Langdale decided to advance in line, and
leaving their trenches the four platoons started off in
that formation. The platoon commanders became
casuaities in the first few yards, 2nd Lieut. Marriott
being xvounded and the txvo others gassed, and bv the
time ttiev reached our front line the Company Com-
mander xxas leading them himself. \Valking along with
his pipe in his mouth, Captain Langdale might bave
been at a Field Day, as he caimiv signaIIed his right
platoon to keep up in line, with " keep it up, Oaktiam,"
as thev crossed our trench. The line was kept, and so
perfectly that manv of the stragglers who had co*ne back
turned and went forward again with them. But once
more as thev were reactiing the German front line came
that deadlv machine ,-un tire, and ttieir allant Com-
mander was one of the first to fall, kiIIed xvith a buffet
in the head. C.S.M. Lovett was badlv xvounded at ttie

HOHENZOLLERN. 79

saine time, Serjt. Franks killed, and the Company,
now leaderless, was broken into is.olated parties fighting
with bombs in the various trenches.
" A " Company followed. Keeping lais platoons
more together and on a smaller frontage, Captain
Hastings decided to attempt a bayonet attack against
the German opposition on the left of the Redoubt, and
himself led lais mên up to the attack. Again l'latoon
Commandcrs wcre the first to fall, and as they climbed
out of out trenches, nd Lieut. Laxxton was mortallv
wounded in the stomach and "-'nd Lieut. l»etch badlv
shot through the arm. However, this did hot delav
the attack, and the Company, crossing the German front
line, quickened their pace and ruade for the junctions
of '" Little \Villie " and " N. Face." Once more bombs
and machine guns were too hot for them, and first
Capt. Hastings, then nd Lieut. Moss were killed near
the German second line, leaving the Compan.v in the
hands of nd Lieut. Tomson and C.S.M. Gorse, wh0. at
once organizêd the platoons for the defence of the second
line, realizing that it was usêless to trv to advance
further. 2nd Lieut. Petch, in spite of his wound, re-
mained several hours with his platoon, but erentually
had to leave them. The ground xvas covered with the
dead and wounded of the othêr Battalions, Fosse and
Dump trenches were filled with Germans and machine
guns, " S. Face " and both " \Villies " were full of
bombers, and worst o'f ail the machine guns of liad
Point, Madagascar and the Slag-heap had apparentlv
escaped untouched. There was only one thing left to
do, and that to hold what we had got against these
bombing attacks, and consolidate out new position
without delav.

80 THE F1FTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Meanwhile, in addition to our two Companies, there
were several otber parties and units fighting in various
parts of the Redoubt, and of these Colonel Evill, of the
Monmouthshires, himself on the spot, took command,
sending doxn for more men and more bombs. Of these
little parties the most successful was that under Lieut.
XVollaston, who, although wounded, led a bombing
attack into " Little \Villie," and pushed on so resolutelv
that he gained some eighty yards of trench belote being
compelled to withdraw owing to lack of bombs and
ammunition. Unfortunately there was no other party
near to help him, or " Little \Villie " would probably
bave been ours. On the right, Lieut. Madge, of the
Lincolnshires, held on for an incredibly long time with
only a few machine gunners far in advance of anyone
else, nly coming back after 5 p.m., when he found
that part of the captured ground had been evacuated
by us. Here, too, Lieut. Morgan, o.f the Stafford-
shire Brigade R.F.A., was killed leading his gunners
forward to help the infantrv who were in diflïculties.
Some of "D i, Company were also in action at this
time. Thirteen and Fourteen Platoons set off, as
originally ordered, under Royal Engineer oflïcers, to
put out barbed wire in front of the Redoubt, but
as they reached out front line were heavily shelled and
lost touch with the Engineers, many of whom xxere
killed. 2nd Lieut. Stoneham had alreadv been badlv
wounded, and Lieut. \Villiams, with a blood-stained
bandage tying up a wounded ear, was with his other
hall Company, so the two platoons were left without
officers. Serjt XV. G. Phipps, who was leading, knew
othing about the wiring orders, having been told
simply to fo,llow the R.E., so he ordered his platoon to

HOHENZOLLERN. 81

collect ail the bombs thev could find and make for the
Redoubt. Serjt. G. Billings with II followed, and the
half Company entered the fight soon after " A "
Compan_v. Their rate was the saine. Serjt. Billings,
xvith Corporals A. Freeman and T. \V. Squires, were all
killed trying to use their bavonets against " N. Face,"
aud the test u ere scattered and joned the various bornb
parties. F. \Vhitbread and A. B. Law found themselves
in " Little \Villie," and helped rush the enemv along
it, onlv to be forced back each rime through lack of
bombs. \Vhitbread was particularl.v brave later, when
he went alone over the top to find out the situation on
their flank. One other officer was conspicuous, in the
Redoubt, in out trenches, everyxvhere in fact where he
could be of use--Captain Ellwood, in charge of machine
guns and forward bomb stores, was absolutelv inde-
fatigable, and quiet and fearless performed miracles of
energy and endurance.
At 5 p.m., the German bombing attacks increased
in vigour, and this rime a large part of out garrison
of the German second line trench gave way and came
back to the original front line of the Redoubt--some
even to out front line. \Vho gave the order for this
withdrawal was never discovered, but there was un-
doubtedlv an order " Retire " passed along the line,
possibly started bv the Boche himself. Such a message
coming to tired and leaderless men was sure to have a
disastrous effect, and in a few minutes we had given
up all except Point 60, a trench junctlon at the N. end
of " Big \Villie," and the front lin.e of the Redoubt.
In this last there were still plenty of men, and these,
led bv a few resolute officers and N.C.O.'s such as
-'2nd Lieut. Tomson, C.S.M. Gorse, and others, were

HOHENZOLLERN. 83

prepared to hold it against all attacks. The original
parados was eut into tire steps, bomb blocks were built
in " Little \Villie " and " North Face," and the garrison
generally reorganized. Messages were sent for more
bombs, and these were carried up in bags and boxes
from Brewery Keep, Vermelles to the old front line,
and thence across No Man's Land by parties of "C "
and " D " Company.
\Vhile this took place in the Redoubt, Colonel Jones
occupied the old front line with " C " Company (Lieuts.
Farmer and Shields), and elements of " 1)" Company
occupying the bars which were free from gas. The
trench had been badlv battered by shells at mid-day, and
there were manv killed and wounded still in it, amongst
the latter being Colonel Martin, of the 4th Battalion,
who garrisoned about 100 vards bv himself. Shot
through the knee and in great pain, he refused to go
down, but sat at the top of " Barts Aller " receiving
reports, sending information to Brigade, and directing
as far as possible the remnants of his Battalion. For
twentv-one hours he remained, calm and collected as
e.ver, and only consented to be carried out when sure
that all his Battalion had left the RedoaJbt. Meanwhile
further to the left along the saine trench, Colonel Jones
ruade it his business to keep the Redoubt supplied with
bombs. He was here, there, and everywhere, directin
parties, findin K bomb stores, helping, encouraKing, and
givin K a new lease of lire to all he met. Manv brave
deeds were done bv N.C.O.'s and men and never heard
of, but one stands out remembered bv all who were
there. L.-Corpl. Cayson, of " I)" Company, durin
the time that his platoon was in this trench, spent all
his time out in the old No Man's Land, under heavv

84 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

machine gun tire, carrying in the wounded, many of
xvhom would bave perished but for his bravery.
,Vith darkness came orders that the Sherwood
Foresters xvould take over the line from us, but long
before they could arrive our Companies in the Redoubt
were being ver)" hard pressed, and scarcely held their
own. The German bombers never for a moment ceased
their attack, and for soxne time our bombers held them
with diflicultv. Then came the cruellest blow of
fortune, for manv of the bags and boxes of bombs sent
up during the afternoon were round to contain bombs
without detonators, manv others were filled with types
of grenades we had never seen. In spite of this there
was one officer vho alvays managed to find the here-
withal t) repl.v to the German attacks. Escaping death
b.v a miracle, for his great height ruade him very
conspicuous, 2nd Lieut. Tomson stood for hours at one
of the bombing blocks, smoking cigarettes and throwing
bombs. Vith him was Pte. P. Bo.wler, who proved
absolutelv tireless, while in another part of the line
Pte. ,V. H. Hallam and one or two others carried out
a successful bombing exploit on their own, driving back
the enemv far enough to allow a substantial block to
be built in a vital place. To add to the horrors of the
situation, the garrison had ever in their ears the cries
of the many wounded, who lav around calling for
Stretcher Bearers or f, or water, and to vhom they could
give no help. The Bearers had worked all day magni-
ficently, but there is a limit to human endurance, and
thev could carrv no more. Even so, when no one else
was strong enough, Captain Barton vas out in front
of the Redoubt, regardless of bombs, and thinking only
.of the wounded, many of vhom he helped to out lines,

HOHENZOLLERN. 8,5

xvhile to others, too badlv hit to more, he gave xater
or morphia. Hour after hour he worked on alone, and
no one will ever know ho,w many lires he saved that
niKht.
Soon after 6 p.m., the Sherwood Foresters started to
arrive and gradually worked their wav up towards the
Redoubt, a long slow business, for the communication
trenches were all ch.oked and no one was very certain of
the route. One large party arriving at midnight
happened to meet Colonel Jones, who advised them to
try goln5 over the top, and actually gave them their
direction bv the stars. So, accurate were his instructions
that the party arrived exactly at the Redoubt--inciden-
tallv at a moment when the Germans were launching a
counter attack over the open. Such an attack might
well bave been disastrous, but the Boche, seeing  the
Sherwood Foresters and over-estimating their strength,
retired hurriedlv. Bv dawn the Sherwood Foresters had
taken over the whole Redoubt, though many of out
"A " and "13" Companies were hot relieved and
staved there until the following night. Our task now
was the defence of the original British front line, for
which Colonel Jones was ruade responsible, and which
we garrisoned with " C " (Farmer} right, " D "
(\\ïlliams) centre, and "A " and "B "' (Tomson) left.
Major Toller, several rimes knocked dox n bv shells and
suffering from concussion, Lieut. XVollaston wounded,
and nd Lieut. XVvnne gassed, had ail been sent down,
and nd Lieut. \Villiams followed some hours later.
Otlr onlv other oFficer, Lieut. R. \Uard Jackson, was in
charge of the Grenadiers, and spent his rime in the
Redoubt organizing bomb attacks and posts and trench
blocks, himself throwing manv bombs, and in a very
quiet wav doing a verv great deal.

86 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Twice during the night General Kemp visited the line,
and went round the Redoubt before it was handed o-,-er
to the Sherwood Foresters. He wanted ver'« much to
do more for the wounded, but the Stretcher Bearers
were worked out, and though volunteers worked hard
and rescued many, there were still numbers who had to
be left until the following night. Rations were brought
bv the Company Q.M. Serjeants under Çapt. \Vorle_v
to the Quarry--a few hundred yards behind the Ieft of
our old front line--and waited there until parties could
be sent for them, a marrer of several hours. How-
e'«er, they were distributed at dawn, when they were
verv welcome, for manv had been nearly twenty-four
hours without food. 2nd Lieut. Tomson was one of
of these, remarking, as CS.M. Gorse gave him some
rum, that he had had nothing since the attack but " two
biscuits and over 300 cigarettes ! "
Throughout the following dav xve remained in o-ur
old front line, listening to the continuous bombing
attacks in the Redo.ubt, and giving what assistance we
could with carrying parties. The morning was ver.v misty,
and in expectation of a counter attack we xxere ordered
to keep double sentries, so that the trench was more than
usuallv full of men, when the enemv .uddenlv bom-
barded it with heavv shells. There were several direct
bits, and the trench was blown in in man.,," places,
while one shell fell into the middle of a machine gun
team. Serjt. \V. Hall, of " I)" Company, L/Corpl.
A. F. Brodribb, and Pte. Bartlam were ail killed, and
the rest of the team were badly shaken, until C.S.M.
Gorse and Corpl. B. Staniforth came along and helped
to reorganize the post with a few new men. The trench
contained no real cover, and the bombardment lasted for

HOHENZOLLERN. 87

about half an hour; a severe ordeal for men who had
alreadv had a stiff fight followed by a night of bornbing.
Many of the telephone lines were broken, and L.-Corpl.
Fisher, who had done such gallant work the pervious
da.v, was kiiled entering our trench just after he had
re-opencd communication. In the afternoon we were
again bornbarded, this time with lachrymatory as well
as H.E. sheiis, but our casualties were hot so heavy,
though the trench was again demolished in several
places. Finaily at 11-30 p.m. the Sherwood Foresters
started to relieve us. They arrived in small parties,
and some did hOt appear untii dawn the fo,iloxing da3' ,
so that relief was hOt cornplete until 8 a.m. \Ve then
went back to Lancashire trench between the Raiiwav
and Vermelles, where we slept for several hours.
At 2 p.m., motor 'buses arrived to take the Brigade
back to Hesdigneul, and ruade seerai journeys, but
had hot room for all the Battalion, so î0 set off to match
under Major Toller, who had returned to us in
Lancashire trench. It proved to be a dark night, and
the party lost thc.ir vay sligbtl.v in Verquigneul, but
finaliv arrived singing (led bv C.S.M. Gorse) at
Hesdigneui, and reached their billets about midnight.
In so far that Fosse , stiii remained in the hands of
the enemy, the battle was a failure, but in capturing
the Redoubt the Brigade had prevented it being a
ccmplete failure. Though we only held the German
front line and one smali point in advance of it, we ruade
it impossible for the enemv to hoid anv of the Redoubt
himself, and so robbed him of lais commanding position
o.n the high ground. Our casualties had been heavy,
and the two attacking Battalions had onlv one officer
left between them, while we in reserve had lost four

88 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

officers and  men killed, six officers and 1:2 men
wounded and 18 men missing. Two otficers and 2 men
had been gassed, but presently returned to us. The
causes of out failure were mainly two. First, the
failure of the Artillerv to wipe out "Mad Point " and
Madagascar and their machine guns ; secondly, the gas.
This last was undoubtedlv a mistake. It caused us
several casualties; it marie it necessary for the attackers
to wear rolled up gas masks which impeded them, it
stopped our H.E. bombardment an hour before the
assatllt and so enal)led German machine gunners to corne
back to their gulls, and above ail it had a bad effect
on us, for we knew its deadlv effects, and many a man
swallowing a mouthftll or smelling it became frightened
of the consequences and was useless for further fighting.
There was also the mistake of leaving Fosse and Dump
trenches untouched bv the bombardment, because they
were reported weeks before tobe shallow and un-
ccupied; as it happened we round them full of men.
Finally, there were the bombs. \Ve had been promised
Mills only, and vet found manv other types during the
battle. Possiblv a shortage of Mills might account for
this, but there can be no possible excuse for sending
grenades into a fight without detonators, and no punish-
ment could be too harsh for the officer who was
responsible for this.
Honours and Rewards were hot given in those davs
as thev were later, and manv a brave deed went un-
recognized. There were o.nlv nine D.C.M.'s in the
Division, and of these the Brigade won seven, to which
we contributed one, Hallam, the grenadier. Of the
officers, Capt. Barton, Lieut. Vollaston, and nd Lieut.
Villiams received the Militarv Cross, and the Colonel's

HOHENZOLLERN. 89

naine appeared in the next list for a C.M.G. It was
hot until long afterwards that those who had been with
him began to talk of the splendid deeds of nd Lieut.
Tomson throughout the day and night of the 13th,
and he was never one to talk about himself. Had
anyone in authoritv known at the rime he, too, would
bave had some decoration.

CHAPTER V.

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEI)ITERRANEAN.

15th Oct., 1915. 28th Jan., 1916.
TH who]c Brigade was ]eft verv weak after the battle,
and there was a seri'ous shortage of officers. As
in this respect xve, as a Battalion, had suffered least,
we had to supply the needs of other units, and Major
Toller went to command the 4th Battalicn, taking with
him 2nd Lieut. Trevor Jones, a. thev had no subaltern
otîicers. At the saine rime 2nd Lieut. H. E. Chapman
was sent to help the 5th Lilacolnshires, and Capt.
Burnett and Lieut. XVard Jackson went to Brigade
Headquarters to look after Transport and Bombs, while
their duties in the Battalion were performed bv Ser).
Brodribb and Serjt. Goodman. We could not afford a
machine gun officer, so Serjt. Jacques was ruade
responsible for the guns until an oPficer reinforcement
should arrive. " A," " B" and " I) " Companies
were commanded bv Lieuts. Tomson, Vynne, and
Shields, and, as Lieut. Allen was still in hospital, Lieut.
Hills acted as Adjutant. The ofiicers ail messed
together at first, and tried to maintain the old cheerful
spirit of the Battalion mess--a little ditîicult after
losing in one dav more than three-quarters of the mess.
On Sunday, General Montagu-Stuart-Vortley came

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 91

to talk to the Battalion after Church parade, and
congratulated us on the fighting, sa.ring that, consider-
ing the odds against us, he thought we had done very
well indeed. He then went round the ranks talking
to some of the men who had taken part in the battle,
and was verv amused bv some of the answers he
received to his questions. One scldier, asked what ho
had done in the fight, replied that he had " blown hall
a Boche oflïcer's leg off with a bomb." The General
thought this excellent, but wanted to know why he had
chosen hall an officer only, and hot a whole one.
\Ve staved ten days at Hesdigneu[, and then moved
to I)rouvin and Vaudricourt, vhere the billets were
better, and we were able to bave a Battalion oflïcers"
mess. During this time, manv reinforcement oflïcers
arrived and two large drafts of other ranks. Two of
our original officers returned--Capt. Beasley, who now
took command of " B " Company, and Lieut. Knighton,
who returned to " I)" as 2nd in Command. The
remainder were new to us, and were posted as follows :
"A " Company--2nd Lieuts. M. A. Hepvorth, C. H.
Pickvorth, and G. Russell; "B" Çompany--2nd Lieuts.
J. \V. Brittain and, when thev ret.urned, the two officers
lent to other Battalions; "C " Company--Capt. S. J.
F, owler, 2nd Lieuts. A. M. Barrowcliffe and A.
L. Macbeth; " D " Company--2nd Lieuts. A. H.
Dawes, H. \V. Oliver, and J. R. Brooke. 2nd Lieut.
C. L. Saunders becane lIachine Gun Officer. \Vith
these additions we were able to start training again,
and devoted out time to route marching, bavonet
fighting, and, most of ail, bomb throing. At no time
during the war was more reliance placed on bombs,
and scheme after scheme was invented for " bombing

92 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

attacks up a trench," to such an extent that the platoon
organisation was now re-modelled with the one idea
of forming bomb parties. The rifle seemed to be
temporarily forgotten.
On the Sth October, as many Units as possible of the
1st Armv were inspected bv H.M. The King. Out
Brigade formed a composite Battalion commanded by
Col. Jones, and, with the test of the Division, and repre-
sentatives of other I)ivisions, was drawn up along the
Hesdigneul-Labuissière Road. His Majesty rode past
us from Labuissière and, after taking the salute, came
down the hill again in his car with tbe l'rince of \Vales.
He acknowledged out cheers with a smile, and it was
hot until afterwards that we learnt of his accident
soon after passing us, and knew the pain he was
sulïering during his drive back, pain which he had so
admirablv concealed.
After the inspection we sent a large party, six officers
and .30 N.C.O. 's and men, to Sailly Labourse, to carry
gas cylinders and other material to trenches, but except
for this we were spared all fatigues durlng out period
of test. A week later we marched through Béthune
and Robecq to Calonne sur la Lys, a little village outside
Merville, where we remained another week belote g-oing
to the line. Lieut. Allen rejoined us and became
Adiutant; Lieut. Hills, after a few days with "A "
Company, went to Brigade Headquarters as a Staff
Learner. At the saine time, Major Toller returned to
the Battalion as nd in Command. After commanding
the -[th Battalion until a new Colonel arrived for them,
he had been posted to the 5th Lincolnshires, and for a
time it looked as though he would be permanently
given command. However, bad luck pursued him,

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 93

and, as two new Colonels arrived for that Battalion
the same day, he again lost his Conmand. Consider-
ing that he had commanded us for three m'onths during
the summer with great success, and was easilv senior
Major in the Brigade, it was exceptionally" bad luck that
he had to xxait another eight months belote finallv
getting Iris Battalion.
On the 10th November, we were told that we should
once more take over a part of the line, and the following
rnorning we marched to I.acotlture and went into billets
for one night. "B " Co. (Beasle.v) went on at once
and spent the night in support positions near the Rue
du Bois between Festubert and Neuve Chapelle. The
rest of us moved up the next dav and took over our
new line from the Sherwood Foresters the saine night.
Battalion Headquarters lived in a little cottage, " No.
1 " Albert Road, two Cornpanies occupied a large farm
bouse in the saine neighbourhood fitted up as a test
bouse, one Company lived in a series of curiouslv named
keeps--" Haystack," " Z Orchard," '" l'ath," and
" Dead Cow," and one Company- onlv was in the front
line.
The Brigade now held the line from " Kinkroo," a
corruption of La Quinque Rue, crossing to the " Boar's
Head," and 'o.f this we held the stretch opposite the two
farms in No Man's Land, Fine du Bois and Fine Cour
d' Avoue. The latter, surrounded bv a moat, had an
evil reputation, and was said to have been the death-trap
of manv patrols, xvhich had gone there and never been
seen since. The trenches had been dug in the
summer when the country was dry', xxith no regard to
the fact that in winter the water level rises to within
two inches 'of the surface of the ground. In conse-

9 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

quence, the trenches were full of mud and water, and
most of the bivouacs and shelters were afloat. The
mud was the worst, for although onlv two feet deep,
vet it was of the clinging variety, and ruade walking
impossible, so much so, that manv a man has found it
impossible to withdraw lais foot, bas had to leave
gum-boot behind, go on in his socks, and corne back
later with a shovel to rescue lais boot. The water was
deeper and often came over one's gum-boots and up
to one's waist, but at least it was possible to walk
slowlv through it without fear of getting stuck. To
add to the discomfort of the garrison, the weather was
bitterh cold and often verv vet, and though no
Company remained more than 24 ho,urs in the front line,
vet that was long enough for manv to become chilled
and so start the terrible " trench foot."
" Trench foot," as it was called, was one of the
most terrible atlictions of winter trenches. After
standing for a long period in vater or mud, or with
wet nlbber boots, the feet became graduall.v numbed
and the circulation ceased, while as the numbed area
increased a dull aching pain spread over the whole foot.
Exercise to restore the circulation would have prevented
this, but for men who were compelled to spend the
entire dav in one tire bay, exercise vas impossible, and
bv evening the numbness had almost ahvavs started.
As soon, therefore, as a Company came from the front
line, it marched to the rest h,ouse. Here, everv man
was given a hot drink, lais et boots and socks were
taken away, his feet rubbed bv the Stretcher Bearers
until the circulation was restored, and then with dry
socks and dru. boots he remained for the next
hours in the warmer atmosphere of the test house.

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERR-NEAN. 9,.5

Should action hot be taken in time, and a man be left
for 48 hours with wet boots and socks, the test housse
treatment was insufScient, and ho had tobe sent to
Hospital, where, if gangrene had hot set in, he could
still be cured. )Ianv ila the earlv davs did hot realize
its dangers, for once gangrene starts, the foot has to
be amputated.
The enemv's trenches were probably as bad as out
oxx n, and ho only malned his front line at night, leaving
a few snipcrs to hold it by dav. These were active
for the first hour or two after morning " stand to,"
but thon had breakfast and apparently slept for the rest
of the day, at all events they troubled us no more.
This was a distinct advantage, for it enabled communi-
cation to be kept between posts and from front to rear,
without the orderly having either to swim up a com-
munication trench or run a serious risk of being sniped.
One, Kelly, a famous "D " Company character, tried
to walk too soon one morning to fetch lais rum ration
and was hit in the knee, much to his annoyance; but on
the xxhole there were verv few casualties. Bv night,
too, tl:ere was not much firing, probabl.v because both
sides were hard at work taking up rations, relieving
front line posts, or tf.ring to get drv with the aid of a
walk " on top." In our case, with 2t hour reliefs,
there were no ration parties, because each Company
as it went to the line took its rations and fuel with it.
Our onlx communication trench was " Cadbury's,"
xvhich started near " Chocolat Mortier," corner of the
Rue du Bois, so called after an advertisement for this
chocolate fastened to the side of a house. It was
even more water logged than the front line, and conse-
quentl.v, except when the ice was thick enough to walk

96 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

on, was seldom used. \Vitb a little care it was possible
to reach the front line even bv dav witbout tbe help of
a trencb at ail, and Lieut. Saunders ahvays used to
visit lais machine guns in this way, making the journe.
both wavs over the top every dav that we held tbe
sector, and never once being shot at.
The Rue du Bois we used as little as possible, for
everv other bouse was an O.P., and the gunners pre-
ferred us at a distance. Tbe " Ritz," " Carlton,"
" Tr.ocadero," and " l'rinces " ail gave one an excellent
view of the enemv's front line, and, knowing this, the
Boche concentrated most of the little artillerv he used
on this neighbourhood. There was seldom any heavy
sbelling, mostlv field artillerv only, and this of a poo:r
order, for hot onh" were there manv " duds " in everv
shoot, but also the gunners seemed to lack imagination.
So regular were tbev in their choice of targets, rimes
o,f shooting, and number of rounds fired, tbat, after
being in the line one or two days, Col. Jones had
discovered their s.vstem, and knew to a minute where
the next shell would fall. His calculations were very
accurate, and be was able to take wbat seemed to
uninitiated Staff Officers big risks, knowing that the
sbelling would stop before he reached tbe place being
sbelled.
Amongst the new subaltern officers was one unlike an)"
we had seen before--2nd Lieut. J. R. Brooke. He loved
patrolling for its own sake, and during his first few
davs in the line explored everything he could filld
including tbe German wire and trenches. From tbis
rime onwards he spent more of his davs crawling about
on lais stoumach than sitting like a respectable soldier
in a trench, and even when vears later be became a

FLANDERS MUD TO THE IEDITERRANEAN. 97

Company Commander it was round impossible to break
him of the habit. Captains were forbidden to go on
patrol, but this did not matter to him, be xonld take
a snbaltern with him and make the latter write the
report, calling it 2nd Lieut. ---- and one other Rank.
One would expect such a man to be large, strong, and
of a tierce countenance; 2nd Lieut. Brooke xvas small,
of delicate health, and looked as thongh his proper
vacation il'l life was to hand cups of tea to fair ladies
at a village tea tight.
It seemed probable that we shonld have to romain in
this sector for the whole winter, and out first thought
was, therefore, how to make the trenches somewhat
more habitable. It was obvi.ous that digging was out
of the question, and that nothing less than a large
breastwork, built entirely above ground, would be of
anv use. General Kemp visited the lines several times
before finallv deciding on his plan, and then sighted two
works, the front a few yards behind out present front
line, the second j.ust behind vhat was called the " old
British Line," now used for our snpports. It was a
gigantic task, and the work was verv slow, even though
everv available man worked ail night. The inside of
the breastwork was to be revetted with frames of
woodwork and expanded metal, and, in order that the
parapet might be reallv bullet proof, the soil for it had
to be dug from a " borrow pit " several vards in front.
The soil was stickv and would not leave the shovel,
which added terriblv to the work; for each man had
literallv to dig a shovel full, walk rive or six yards
and deposit it against the revetting frames. For-
tunatelv for us the Boche did not seem to object to out
xvork, in any case he left us in peace each night.

98 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

\Vhile this was in progress, an effort was also ruade
to trv and drain the area. In many places water was
lying, held up bv sandbag walls and old trenches,
actuallv above the ground level, and it was hoped that
bv cleaning ditches and arranging a general drainage
scheme for the whole area, this surplus water might
be drained off, and, in time, the whole water level
lowered. Lieut. A. G. Moore, M.C., who returned
from England at this rime, was ruade " O.C.
1)rainage," and set to work at once with what men
he could collect, but so big were the parties working
on the breastworks each night, that onlv a very few
could be spared for this other work, and hot very
much could be done.
Soon after Lieut. Moore, 2nd. Lieut. G. B. \Villiams
also returned to us, and became Battalion Intelligence
Officer, a post now started for the first rime. At the
saine rime four new officers arrived--2nd Lieuts. G.
Selwvn and YV. Ashwell to "A " Compan.v, .°nd Lieut.
A. N. Bloor to " B," and 2nd Lieut. V. J. Jones to
" D." C.S.M. Gilding and Serjt. Brodribb both left
us tobe trained as officers, and their places were taken
by C.Q.M.S. Johnson who became C.S.M. of "C"
Company, and Oorpl. Roberts who took charge of the
Transport. The latter xvas still under the special care
of Capt. Burnett, although he had all the Transport
of the Brigade to look after.
Out first tour ended on the 25th, when, after 1
davs' mud and frost, we were relieved by the 4:th
Lincollshires, and came back to billets in the Rue des
Çhavattes, hot far from Laeouture, where Stores and
Transport remained throughout this time. Out
casualties had not been verv heavy, and we lost more

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 99

through the weather conditions than at the hands of
the enemy, for Cpt. Fowlcr and several N.C.O.'s and
men, unable to stand the exposure, had to be sent to
Hospital. Out biileting area included several keeps
or strong points--L'Epinette, le "l'ourel, and others--
for which we round caretakers, little thinking, as we
stocked them with reserve rations, that the Boche would
eventuallv eat out " Bully," and it would fall to out
lot in three vears time to drive him from these very
positions. "l'he day after relief, the Brigadier went
on leave, and Col. Jones took lais place at Brig'ade
Headquarters--" Cense du Raux " Farm--somewhat to
the annovance of one or two of the other Commanding
Ottcers, who, though junior to the Colonel, were all
" Regular Time-serving Soldiers."
Up to this rime out covering Artillerv had belonged
to anothm- (New Army) Division, but now out own
Gunners took over the line, making it more than ever
certain that we were to spend the whole winter in these
abominable trenches. \Ve were very glad to see out
own Artillerv again, for, though their predecessors had
done quite well, we ahvays preferred out own, even in
the davs of 15 pounders and 5 inch howitzers. Not
onlv were thev more accurate than other people, but
they were also more helpful, and were obviouslv intent
on serving us Infantry, not, as some others, o,n carrying
on a small war of their own. Besides, we knew the
F.O.O.'s so well and looked forward to seeing them
in the Mess, where, betxxeen occasional squabbles about
real or imaginary" shol-t shooting, thev were the most
cheerful companions. Lieuts. \Vright, Morris-E.vtc«,
\Vatson of the 1st Staffs., Morgan, Anson of the -th,
and Lyttelton, Morris, and Dixie of the nd Lincoln-

100 THE F1FTH LEICESTERSH1RE.

sbires, were the most frequent visitors for tbe " pip
Lquealçs, while Lieuts. Newton, Cattle, and F. Joyce
perforrned the saine duties for the Derby Howitzers.
They ahvavs took tare to maintain their superiority over
tbe mere foot soldier bv a judicious use of long technical
words wbicb thev produced one at a rime. At lçemmel
thev were ahvavs " registering "; at Ypres, as we,
too, bad learnt the meaning of " register " and even
dared to use the word ourselves, they introduced
" bracketinK,'" and as this became too common,
" calibrating " md so on; the more famous of recent
vears hein K " datum point " and M.I'.I. (mean point
of impact). Occasio.nallv out otScers used to visit the
Batteries, in order to learn bow a Kun was fired--an
opportunity for anv F.O.O. to wreak vengeance on
sorne innocent Infantry Subaltern, who had dared to
suKgest that he had been sbooting short. The In-
fantrvman would be led down to the gun pit, and told
to stand witb one leg on eacb side of the trail, " so
that he could watch tbe shell leave the gun "; sorne
Gunner would then pull a string and the poor spectator,
besides bein nearlv deaf, would see some hideous
recoilin K portion shoot strai.ht at his stomach, stop
within an eighth o.f an inch of his belt buckle, and slide
slowlv back--a ghastly ordeal.
On the night of the 2nd December, we went once
more to the line and reiieved the tth Lincolnshires in
our old sector, which we found very much as we had
left it, perhaps a little wetter, as it had been raining.
For this tour we slightly altered out dispositio»s, and
instead of each of the four Companies takin K a tour in
the front line, two Cornpanies onlv would do s.o. for this
tour, the other two doin K the saine tbe following tour.

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 101

It was hoped tbat in this wav the garrison would take
more interest in irnproving tbeir surroundings if they
knew thev would return to the sarne place everv other
dav. Under tbe old systern, no one took mucb interest
in a trench which he onlv occupied for 2t hours, and
would not see again for four davs. \Ve did hot,
however, bave a chance of testing this new arrange-
ment, for at 3-45 the following" morning, orders carne
that the Division would be relieved the followin. night,
and was under orders 1:o go to the East. As soon as
it was dark, tbe 19th Division took our place in the
line, and we marched back for the night to tbe Rue des
Çhavattes, whence, after ridding ourselves of gurn-
boots, sbeepskin coats, and extra blankets, we rnarcbed
the following day by Locon, Lestrern and Merville to
Caudescure, a little village on the edge of Nieppe
Forest.
\Ve round fairlv good billets here, thougb thev vere
too scattered to allow of a Battalion Mess, and we spent
a verv enjoyable f, ortnight traininK, playing football, and
listening" to rurnours about out destination. The rnost
persistent of tbe last was Egy'pt, based in the first
instance on a telephone conversation between a Crps
and I)ivisional Signaller, overhead bv a telephonist at
Brigade, in which the Corps Signaller told his friend
that be had seen a paper in one of the otfices wbich said
tbat we were to go to Eg.vpt. On the other hand,
Lieut. X of the Lincolnshires had a brother in the Flying
Corps, who bad ridden on a lorrv with an A.S.C.
Serjeant fro.rn G.H.Q., and had been told that ail the
Territorial Divisions in India were being relieved bv
Divisions frorn France. Against this was Captain
barman, who had a friend in the Staffordshires who was

102 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

batman to an oflïcer who had a cousin in the V'ar Office,
and he said we were going to the I)ardenelles. On
the top of all these came General Montagu-Stuart-
XVortlev to inspect us, and, incidentally', to tell us that
he himself had hot the slightest idea where we were
going.
On the 19th we moved to the little hamlet of Tanna.v,
still on the edge of the woods, between Haverskerque
and Thiennes. As we paraded in the morning there
were manv who said thev could smell gas, but as the
whld was N.E. and the line verv far awa.v, we thought
thev must be mistaken. However, the next dav the
official communiqué told us of a big gas attack at Ypres
on the 9th and 49th Divisions, and though Ypres was
18 mlles away, it must bave been this that could be
smelt. In these new billets we spent Christmas--the
first Cristmas in France for us, and managed with the
aid of plum puddings and other luxuries sent out to us by
the good people at home, to enjoy ourselves immensely.
Not onlv were many good things to eat sent us, but ve
also received some very welcome gifts of tobacco,
cigarettes, books and stationerv from the " Leicester
Dailv Post and Mercurv " funds. Both these papers
have been most faithful throughout the war, never
failing to send us " themselves," and often adding Boxes
of comforts for ail. Out celebrations included a Brigade
Football Çup competition, for which we entered a hot
side, including manv of our old players--"Ban.er" Neal,
" Musb " Ta.vlor, Toon, Archer, Skell_v, Fish, Serjt.
Allan, Kirchin and others. We met the 5th Lincoln-
shires in the semi-finals and beat them 2--1, and then
turned our attention to their 4th Battalion, who after
beating out 4th Battalion, .our old rivais, met us in the

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 103

final and went down 1--0. The final was a keen, hard
gaine, played well to the finish, and we deserved our
win. The trophy--a clock, mounted into a French
" 75 " shell--was taken back to Leicestershire bv Capt.
Fariner when he next went on leave.
On the 97th we again moved, this time to some fatras
round Vqddebroucq, just west of Aire, tobe nearer
our entraining station Berguette, which with Lillers
had alreadv been reconnoitrcd. As Captains Hills
and Vard .]ackson had alreadv gone forward with
an advance party to larseilles, it began to look as
though we reallv should go East before the end of the
var--a fact wbicb some of us were beginning to doubt.
Training still continued each da}, special attention being
pald to open warfare tactics, which fortunatelv included
more muslçetl'V and les.,; bombing, and we also carried
out a number of route marches and field davs. Scouts,
having become obsolete, were resurrected, and Field
Service Regulations rescued from the dira recesses of
valises. It was a pleasant change after the previous
nine months' trench work.
At last, on the 6th January, we marched to Berguette
station and boarded a long train of cattle trucks, leaving
at 4.40 p.m. The first part of the journey was
uninteresting, but after passing Paris, the train seemed
happier, vent quite fast at rimes, and did hot stop so
long between stations. The weather on the 8th xvas
lovely, and the tbird dav's travelling under a hot sun
was delicious: doors vere pushed back, and those for
whom there was to room on the foot-boards, sat on the
carriage roofs. Finally, at 1.0 a.m. on the 9th, the
train reached 5larseilles, and we marched out to a camp
on the west side of the town, in a suburb called Santi,

104 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

where there xxere tents for ail, and a large room for an
officers" mess. Here we remalned 14 davs in the most
excellent surroundings, and with heavenlv weather.
The Staffordshires and L[ncolnshires had alreadv
sailed for Egypt when we arrived, and a few days later
another ship carried some t'adres and other officers of
the Division to the saine destination. For the test
us there were for the moment no transports, so we had
to wait--not a verv terrible task, when out most
strcnuous exercise was sea-bathing or pla.ving xvater
polo, and out recreation consisted of walking into the
town, to which an almost unlimited number of passes
were given. Here, it must be admitted, there was often
too much to eat and far too much to drink, and the
attractions were so great that ever.vbody waited for the
last possible train back to camp, with the result that this
vehicle arrived with human forms clinging to every
corner of the sides, ends and roof--a most extrao,rdinarv
sight. On one occasion two well-known soldiers who
had dined too well and hot too wisely, stood solemnlv at
the side of the road holding up their hands to a tram
to stop, when a party of livclv French scavengers turned
the hosepipe on to them, and thev had to be rescued
from the gutter, where thev lav with thc water running
in at their collars and out at their ankles. The officers,
too, had manv popular resorts, such as Therese's Bar
and the Bodega for cocktails, the Noveltv for dinner,
and a host of entertainments to follow, ranging from the
opera, which was first-class, for the serious, through the
" Alcazar " and " Palais de Crvstal " for the frivolous,
to the picture palaces for the utterlv depraved.
On the 20th we learnt that o,ur Transport was now
ready for us, and the folloving morning ve marched to

FLANDERS MUD TO THE MEDITERRANEAN. 105

the docks and embarked in H.M.T. " Andania," late
Cunard, which tan o«aly be described as a floating palace,
fitted with everv modern luxury. \Ve were all rather
glad tobe leaving Marseilles, for it was an expensive
place, and manv of the ofticers were beginning to be a
little apprehensive about the lengths to which Mr. Cox
would let them go. However, ail would nov be right,
because once in thc desert we should draw extra pay and
find no Bodegas. \Ve were to sail on the morning of
the 2nd, and soon after dawn orders arrived--to
disembark ! Sadlv we left out palace and walked back
to Santi Çamp--now hateful to look upon, as ve
realised that within a few davs we should be back once
more in the mud, tain, cold and snow of Flanders. The
reaso,n for the sudden change, for taking hall the l)ivi-
sion to Egypt for a fortnight only, was never told us,
but probably ît was owing to the successful evacuation
of the Dardanelles. Had this been a failure, had we
been compelled to surrender large numbers to save the
test, the Turks wx)uld have been free to attack Egypt,
which had at that time a small garrison only. As it
was the Division from Gallipoli vent to Egypt, and we
were hot wanted.
On the 2îth Pte. Gregory, who died as the result of
a train accident, vas given a full milita W funeral, and
the following dav at 4.30 a.m. we left Marseilles for
the North.

CHAPTER VI.

THE VIMY RIDGE.

6th Feb., 1916. 9th May, 1916.
OUR return train iourncy was uneventfu] until we
rcached Paris, whcre a German air raid started iust
as we arrived, and thc train was compc]]cd to stop.
Vc had a bcautifu] vicw, and, as the French depended
more on their own planes than on anti-aircraft guns,
if was well worth watching. Thc French machines al]
carried sma]] searchlights, and, in addition to these,
thc skv was ]ight up with thc larger scarchlights from
bc]ow, whi]c the efforts of the Bochc to avoid the ]ights,
and thc Frcnch to catch thcir opponents, produced
s,0me wondcr[ul air-manoeuvering, which ended in the
rctircment of thc Boche. As soon as thev had gone,
our train went on, and we reachcd Pont Remv station
outsidc Abbcville ai 8-30 a.m. on the 30th--back once
more in rain, snow, and mud.
Vv'e marchcd at once to Yaucourt Bussus, a sma]]
village with comfortable billets, which we occupied for
nearlv a fortnight, spending our time training and
playing football. Meanwhile, as the Brigadier and the
two Lincolnshire Battalions had not yet returned from
Egypt, Col. Jones, taking with him 2nd Lieut. \Villiams
as Staff Officer, went to command the half Brigade
and lived with Captain Burnett at Aillv le haut Clocher,

THE VIMY RIDGE. 107

another small village, to which the Brigadier came on
his return on the llth. 'Vhile the Cclonel vas aay,
Major Toller took command and Major T. C. P.
Beasley acted as 2nd in Command. For the time no
one seemed to bave the slightest idea vhat was going
to happen to the Division next.
On the 10th we marched to Gorenflos, and the follow-
ing da)' were taken by lorries to billets in Candas,
where, with an East wind, we could occasionally hear
the distant sounds of gunfire for the first time fcr two
months. Our new area we found was full of prepara-
tion for something; what the exact nature of this
something rnight be we did hot know. Several large
railways and dumps were being built, new roads ruade,
and here and there with great secrecy big concrete gun
platfo.rms were laid. Each dav we sent large numbers
to work, mostly on the railvays, and once more we
heard the words " Big l'ush." \Ve were always
fiving on the verge of the Bi Push, and man)' times
in 915 had thcught that it had started--at Neuve
Chapelle, Givenchy, Loos--only to give up hope when
these battles stagnated after a dav or two. Now there
were preparations going forward again, this time
apparently on a much larger scale than we had ever
seen befo,re, so we felt justified once more in hoping
for the great event. Curi.ouslv enou;h the possibilities
of a Boche big push were never considered, and everv-
<)ne of us was firmlv convinced that, except perhaps for
a blow at Ypres, offensive action on the part of the
enernv was o,ut of the question. This spirit animated
all our work, which was consequently verv different
from out opponents.' Our trenches alwavs had a
we-shall-not-stay-here-long air about them, his were

108 THE FIFTH LEI('ESTERSHIRE.

built to resist to the last man. It was the same in
• considered
training and in billets, we unconsclously
ourselves an advancing arrny, and thereby, tho.ugh we
mav not have realized it, we ourselves supplied the
finest possible stimulant to out rnoral.
The lllrd. Arrnv (Gen. Allenby), to which we now
belonged, introduced at this tirne the Arrnv School--an
important innovation, shortly taken up by ail the other
Arrnies. This School, first cornrnanded bv Col. Kentish
--afterwards Commandant of the Senior Aldershot
School--airned at training junior officers to be Cornpany
Cornrnanders, who oxving to casualties were now hard
to find. The course, which lasted rive weeks, consisted
of drill, tactical exercises, physical training, rnusketry,
bayonet fighting, and bornbing, lectures on esprit de
corps--in fact everything that a Cornpan)" Commander
should know, but many things that in trench warfare
had been forgotten. The Instructors were alwavs up-
to-date, and the best use was at once rnade of any of
the latest inventions, while the school also kept a verv
efficient " Liaison " between all parts o.f the Arrnv.
Students frorn one Division would exchange latest
schemes, ruses, and devices with others frorn another
part of the line, and so no valuable lessons xvere lost
or known to a few onlv. Our first students to this
school were Capt. \Vard Jackson, who was in charge
of "A " Cornpany, and Capt. G. XV. Mien, the latter
for a special Adjutant's refresher course. After these,
ail the Cornpany Comrnanders went in turn, first to
Flixecourt, and later to Auxi le Chateau, whither the
school rnoved in the earlv surnrner. There xvere sirnilar
courses for senior N.C.O.'s, which were of the utrnost
value•

THE VIMY RIDGE. 109

Another important innovation at this time was the
introduction of the Lewis light machine gun. The
Maxim, and even the Vickers machine un had been
round for manv reasons unsuitable for infantry work,
being too heavy and cumbersome for rapid movement,
too conspicuous for easy concealment. It was therefore
decided to form BriKade Machine Gun Companies, who
would be armed with Vickers guns, while Battalions
would bave Lewis guns only, on a scale of two per
Company, for they were to be considered a company
rather than a Battalion weapon. This light gun had no
tripod, was air-cooled, and fired a pan instead of a belt
of ammunition. It was as easy to carry as to eonceal,
and was in every way an enormous improvement on the
«' Vi.ckers " from the infantry point of view. Training"
in the new weapon started at once, and as 2nd Lieut.
Saunders and Serit. Jacques were required for the
Brigade lIachine Gun Company, 2nd Lieut. Shipston
was made Lewis Gun Officer, with Corporal Swift to
help him, and these two trained as manv men as pos-
sible with the two guns issued to us, s.o that hen more
arrived the teams would be readv for them. Captain
EIlwood commanded the Brigade Machine Gunners, and
in addition to our chier instructors, we also sent 2nd
Lieut. Stentiford and 30 N.C.O.'s and men to start the
Company. 2nd Lieut. Stentiford was a new subaltern
oflïcer who, with 2nd Lieuts. T. P. Creed and C. J.
Morris, had arrived while the battalion was at Mar-
seilles.
On the 16th February orders came that at an early
date we should take over the line North of the River
Ancre, oppsite Beaumont Hamel, and the followin K
dav several lorrv loads of officers rec,onnoitred the

110 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

country round Forceville, Englebelmer and Mailly
Maillet, where there were some rear defence lines.
Maps of the front were issued, and we were about to
arrange trench reconnaissances, when the orders were
cancelled and we moved instead, on the 20th, to
Bernaville, and joined the rest of the Brigade. The
other Battalions and Brigade Headquarters were in the
ne]ghbouring villages. At this time the people of
Leicestershire were once more very good to us, and out
\Var Diary contains a note that " This day the C.O.
acknowledges with thanks the gifts of 30,000
cigarettes from out 2/Sth Battalion, also a hand ambu-
lance from Messrs. Symington and Co., Market
Harborough." The last survived the rough usages of
war for a very long time, and many a wounded man has
been thankful for its springs and rubber tyres.
The rest of the month was spent in doing a little train-
ing and a deal of road-clearing. It snowed very hard
once or twice, and many of the roads beeame impossible
for traffic, so each Battalion was allotted a road to keep
clean, ours being the main road to Fienvillers, along
which we spread ourselves armed with picks and
shovels, while the village boys threw snowballs at us.
The 5th I)ivision were moving North at the time, and a
whole day was spent bv so'me of the Battalions drag-
ging their transport up a steep h.ill, a task beyond the
strength of the horses. Fortunately we were spared
this, probably because we took care hOt to clear the
road to Brigade Headquarters, and so were left un-
touched. During this very bad weather we lost
2nd Lieut. Br.o,oke, who had to go to Hospital with
nephritis.
On the 29th we moved to Doullens, where we spent

THE VIMV RIDGE. Ill

an enjoyable week, and were introduced to yet another
innovation. In August, 1915, the French had intro-
duced a steel helmct for thcir machine gunners, finally
extending the issue to ail ranks. This had been round
of the greatest value, and there had been at once a
marked decrease in the percentage of head wounds.
The British helmct now appeared, and was generally
voted, as it first secmed, a hideous fiat object, though
some humorists admitted that it might bave distinct
possibilities as a washing basin. A few soldiers of
the vainer sort thought thev looked more "becoming"
with a " tin-bat "' over one eye, but the vast majority
hated thcm, and it was with the greatest difficulty that
tbose to whom they were issucd, could be persuaded
hot to throw them awav. This aversion, however,
soon passed, and wi,thin a few months the infantry-
man standing under an aeroplane battle without his
" tin-hat " felt distinctlv naked.
It was now definitely decided that we were to relieve
the French in the Neuville St. Vaast-Souchez Sector,
both places where the French had had terrific fighting
the previous year, and consequently a sector with a
bad reputation. The roads were still in bad condition,
and a char-a-banc, full of officers, who tried to recon-
noitre reached no further than the French Brigade
Headquarters and had to return. On the 6th March
we marched to Magnicourt and two days later to
Villers-au-bois, about three mlles behind the line, going
up to trenches on the 9th.
Earlv in 1915 the French line North of Arras had
run tbrough la Targette, Carency and over the East
end of the Lorette heights to Aix Noulette. In May
out allies ruade their first attack here and, driving the

112 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Boche from the heights, gained possession, after terrific
fighting, of Ablain St. Nazaire, Souchez and Neuville
St. Vaast. Later, in conjunction with out Scptember
attack at Lco,s, they had again advanced, and finallv a
brilliant assault by the Zouaves carried tbe line to the
Vimy ridge and on to these hcights, bevond whicb the
roads to Lens and Douai lav open. The fighting for
the summit had been severe, and in the end each side
retained its grip on the bill top, the opposing trencbes
running .'0 yards apart along the ridge. Active mining
operations had started soon afterwards, and shortly
before our arrival the French had been compelled to
give up a considerable portion of their line, and so lose
their hold on the summit. \Vith it thev lost also their
view Estwards, while the Boche, occupying their
evacuated trenches, regained lais view of the next ridge
to the "tVest.
This second ridge was more in the nature of a large
plateau, stretching back to Villers-au-bois, and
separatcd from the Vimy ridge by a narrow steep-
sided vallev--the " Talus des Zouaves," vhere the
support Battalion lived in dug-outs. Crossing tbe
plateau from North to South was the main Bétbune,
Souchez, Arras road, on whicb stood tbe remains of
an old inn, the Cabaret Rouge, where some excellent
deep dug-outs provided acc.ommodation for the
French Poste de Colonel and an Advanced Dressing
Station. The plateau was t- mlles wide, and over
the first hall (up to " Point G ") ran a long and verv
tiring duck-board track; bevond " Point G " were two
communication trenches to the line. One, " Boyau 1,
2, 3," was seldom used, being in bad condition; the
t3ther, " Boyau d'Ersatz," was boarded and well cared

THE VIMY RIDGE. lld

for, and used by ail. It ran via the Cabaret Rouge
int,o the Talus des Zouaves, most of the wav revetted
with a wonderful " wedding arch " revetment, and
thence to the front line, passig the left Poste de Com-
mandant. The forward part of " Boyau 1, , .3,"
East of the " Tahis," was called " Boyau Inter-
nati'o'nale," leading to " Boyau Vincent " and so to
the front line past the right Poste de Commandant.
Carency, Ablain and Souchez were houseless, Villers
au bois was little better, and out test billets were buts
at Camblain L'Abbé, about four mlles behind the line.
The Brigade took over the left sector of the l)ivisional
front and we were allotted the left sub-sector, out right
and left boundaries being the two Bovaus " Inter-
nationale " and " Ersatz." The whole relief was to
be kept as secret as possible, and ail reconnoitering
and advance parties were given French helmets to wear
in the line, so that the Boche might bave n.o idea what
was going to happen. It was a little disconcerting,
therefore, when a French listening post, two davs
belote the relief, reported that a Boche had suddenlv
looked into their post, and after saying " Les Anglais
n'sont pas encore donc arrivés," equally suddenlv dis-
appeared. In spite of this we were not disturbed
during the relief and by 10-a0 p.m. n the 9th had
taken the place of the 68th Regiment, who marched out
at one end of the trench as we appeared at the other,
having told us that we had come to a verv quiet sector.
The trenches were in fair condition, though verv dirty,
and we had a quiet night so began to hope that the
secto;r might not be too terrible after ail. The next
day the French left the area, leaving behind them two
companies of Engineers to carrv on the mining opera-

114 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

tions on the Divisional front. In handing over their
posts the French had said nthing about their country-
men whom thev were leaving in tbe mines, and during
the first night several of them, coming up from below
and talking a strange language, narrowlv escaped
being killed for Boche.
The enemv opposite us were very quiet, and obviously
knowing of tbe relief, were waiting to sec what ve
should do. \Vith the French tbere is no doubt that
thev had had a tacit understanding hot to wage a
vifforous war, tbough, while seeming inactive, tbey had
ail the time been undermining the French trenches.
\Vitb us tbey were uncertain what to do, so for 2t
hours did nothing except tire a few rifle shots, one of
which came tbrough-the parapet and ldlled C.S.M.E.
Thompson, of "B " Company. On the evening of
the second dav thev went one step further, and threw
a single grenade, received two in return, and remained
quiet for the night. The next morning, the llth,
thev threw six more, ail short, and we replied with 10,
rive of which fell in their trench and apparently con-
vinced them that we intended war; at anv rate thev
made no more tentative efforts, but in the afternoon
started more or |ess in earnest. At 4.t5 p.m. thev
blew up a small mne oppcsite " A " Company,
dcmolished a sap-head, and half bured the solitary
occupant, who escaped with bruises onlv; after ths
thev bombed, or tried to bomb us, until 8-0 p.m., while
we repfied at the rate of two to one. Unfortunately,
the explosions caused a collapse in our parapet, about
]0 vards of vhich fell down suddenly, and had to be
re-built durlng the night.
The followin.q" night proved to be st[ll more exctlng.

THE 71MY RIDGE. 115

Soon after midnight a French sapper, narrowly escap-
ing several sentries who thought he was a Boche, came
running along the line excitedlv waving his arms, and
saying: " Mine, mine, faire sauter, demi-heure." No
one knew what he meant, though we gathered a mine
would probabl.v go up somewhere in half-an-hour,
whether ours or theirs we had nrc the least idea.
Eventuallv he was led to Battalion Headquarters, where
he explaincd that lhe French were going to blow a
camouflët in half-an-hour. It was already nearlv an
hour since he first said this, and nothing had vet hap-
pened, so we hurriedly cleared a small portion of out
front line and waited, while ve sent for the Tunnelling
Officer. He arrived, and the " blow " was arranged
for 5-0 a.m., at which hour there was a terrific explo-
sion, a fortv-foot crater was formed, and another ten
vards of our parapet fell down. Such an explosion
must have been cat, sed bv a much bigger charge than
we had laid, so we probably included in out " blow " a
Boche mi.ne laid readv for us. XVe easilv bombed off
a party of his which tried to rush the crater, and spent
the dav re-building out fallen parapet.
Rations, ammunition and R.E. material in this sector
were brought to the " Talus des Zouaves " on mule-
drawn trucks along a narrow-gauge Raihvav from
Mont St. Eloi. Here, at a big Corps R.E. Dump,
the trucks were loaded everv evening, the mule teams
hooked in, and the party set off, much harassed at
times bv bullets and shells, and seldom reaching home
without losing one, and often tvo animals. The Dump
in the " Talus " also got shelled; but the steep banks
ruade the danger liht and not much damage vas done
in thls way, though the Boche kept up a prolonged

116 THE FIFTH LE1CESTERSHIRE.

bombardment at it with 5.9's on the evening of the
14th. Ècept for this, the test of the tour passed
quietly, and on the following night the ith Lincolnshires
relieved us, and we went back to rest in Camblain
L'Abbé huts, where we stayed for six days.
Out second tour started on the 21st, and from this
dav onwards until we finallv left the sector, we had a
bad rime. Out first trouble was the weather. Alternate
frosts and thaws, tain and SHOW, soon filled out
trencbes with mud and slush, into which parapets and
parados either crumbled graduall.v or collapsed whole-
sale. No soener could we repair one length, than
anotber would give wa.v, and through it ail manv posts
had to lire with vater over their ankles and no pro-per
drying accommodation. There had to be three com-
panies in the line, so 2i-hour reliefs vere impossible,
and to increase out troubles out star in a warm climate
had ruade us less capable of standing the exposure to
cold and wet, and there vere manv cases of trench
fever, trench foot, and some pneumonia, while the
health of ail was considerablv impaired. One of the
most pitiful sigh-ts of the war was to sec 20 of our men
crawling on hands and knees to the Aid Post--their
feet so bad that thev c,ould hot walk.
Meanwhile the underground war was not as satls-
factorv as we should have liked, and the Boche
undoubtedlv had lhe upper hand in the mining. Out
galleries were few and short, and in consequence use-
less for either offence or defence, while his were known
to be near out trenches in several places. In one
place between the right and centre companies the
Lincolnshires had expected a " blow " at anv mo-ment,
and evacuating their front line, had dug a new trench

THEVIMY RIDGE. 117

ten vards in rear of it. This seemed to have been
sighted in such a haphazard sort of way that it was
at once named the " Harry Tate " trench bv some
humorist, who pictured a Company Commander com-
ing o,ut and saying " \Vhat shall we d-o next? Let's
dig a trench." And so they dug this one--quite use-
less, for it was bound to be engulfed by anv mine which
exploded under the front line. The Boche, hovever,
tho.ught more of the new trench than we did, and the
dav after it vas built, bombarded it with heavv minen-
werfer shells until it was unrecognisable.
In this state we round it when we came in f.or out
second tour, " C " Company (Farmer) on the right and
"A " Company (,Vard Jackson) in the centre. Our
first m.orning the Boche started iust before midday, and
for four hours rained heavy minenwerfer shells on
these tvo Companies, and particularly on the new
trench. Fortunately there vas no one in this, and
equally fortunately most of the shells fell between our
front line and supports; there was a thick mist at the
time, and it was almost impossible to judge their flight.
Through it all Capt. Farmer walked calmlv from post
to post, cheering the garrison, and iust before the end
of the bombardment at 4-0 p.m., made his way down
the small communication trench towards his support
platoon. Thence he u'ent to call on "B " Company,
but was caught on the wav back by a mortar, which he
probabl.v could not sec coming in the mist (for no one
vas more accurate at judging their flight than he), and
was killed instantly, being blown out o,f the trench and
lost for several hours. Captain Farmer vas perhaps
the quietest, certainlv the bravest, officer of his time,
for he feared nothing, and nothing could shake his

118 THE F1FTH LE1CESTERSH1RE.

calm, while it was said of him that he as never angry
and noyer dcspondcnt. XVhen he was killed, "C "
Company lost their leader, and every man his best
friend, while the mess lost o,ne who was the most
cheerful comrade of every officer.
This bombardmcnt left our front line in a terrible
condition, and General Kemp decided to build a new
main line of resistance 50 vards in rear, holding the
front with odd posts onlv. lleanwhile the front
parapet must be repaired, and the night was spent in
doing this s far as we could--a hopeless task, for the
following afternoon we were again hammered. This
time " A " Company suffered most, and Corporal
Villiamson and one man were killed, Serjt. Staniforth
and one other wounded, while the trench was blown in
for several yards and a dug-out demolished. Dug-
ours were few, and consisted onlv of little hutches
fo, rmed by putting a sheet of iron over some slot. Even
Company Headquarters of the centre Company had
little more than this, though Battalion Headquarters
and the other companies had a half-deep dug-out.
The bombardments now became daily, and all our
efforts at retaliation either with artillery or trench
mortars proved entirelv ineffectual. There was nothing
we could do except clear as many men as possible
away from the danger area, and come back at dusk to
rebuild our parapet. Towards the end of the tour
the Boche started firing rifle grenades belote each
mortar, so that we should stoop to avoid the former
and so miss seeing the flight of the latter. The tour
ended with a four-inch fall of snov on the -'23th, which
melted almost at once and filled the tronches with water,
which no amount of pumping would remedy. After

THE VIMY RIDGE. 119

relief we went to the " Talus des Zouaves " in Brigade
support, except for "C " Company (Moore), which
went to the Cabaret Rouge--now used as Brigade
advanced Headquarters.
The East side of the valley, where the Support Bat-
talion's dug-outs had been built, was immune fro.m
German sheIIs owing to the steepness of the bill side,
and hcre for six davs we had comparative rest, except
at nights, when we most of us went digging on the
new line. The Battalion Grenadiers under Serjeant
Goodman particularly enjoyed thcmsclves, and lheir
dug-out in the valley became a regular anarchists'
arsenal. Fiendish missiles were made out of empty
bottles stuffed with ammonal and other explosives,
which thev managed to obtain in large quantities from
the Krench miners, vhile the strength of various poisons
and gases was tested against the rats, against whose
habitations they carried on an endless ar. A catapult
was erected for practice purposes, and out bombers
became adepts in its use, knowing exactly how much
fuse to attach to a T. N. T. -filled glass beer bottle to
make it burst two seconds after landing in the Boche
trench. The valley was a little dan.gerous during prac-
tice hours, but nobodv minded this so long as the enemy
suffered in the end.
At the saine rime another lnntovation was introduced
in the shape of the Stokes light trench mortara
stove-pipe-like gun firing a cvlindrlcal shell some 400
vards at the rate of 8 in the air at once. It was simply
necessary to drop the shell into the gun, at the bottom
of which was a striker, and the rest was automatic and
almost noiseless, the shock of discharge being rather
like a polite cough. Brigade Trench Mortar Companies

l0 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHllqE.

vere formed, in our case 2nd Lieuts. A. N. Bloor and
XV. R. Ashwell, with several 'other ranks, went to join
the first company.
On the 2nd Match, having received a draft of three
N.C.O.'s and 106 men, we went once more to the line
and took over from the 4th Lincolnshires. This rime
we were able to bave two Companies in front, one in
Boisselet trench, part of the new work, and one in
reserve, a far more satisfactory distribution. Thê
trenches were still in a verv bad state, and it was round
in manv places quite impossible to dig nexv lines,
because the Kround had been so shaken bv continuous
bombardment for more than a year, that the soli would
no longer bind, and the sidcs of anv new trench
collapsed almost as soon as thev were dug. Thê
tour was fairlv quiet, thouKh Boche snipers and
artillerv were more active than before, and we reached
Camblain L'Abbé at the end of i.t wi.thout having
suffered anv repetition of the trench mortar bombard-
ments.
Our six davs' rest included two big 'orking parties,
two inspections, and one demonstration, to sav nothing
of such minor details as church parades, conferences,
baths, and the usual overhauling of boo.ts and clothing.
The 'ork consisted of clearing dug-o.uts in the Bois
des Alleux, and onlv lasted two days, after which we
polished ourselves for General Kemp, who inspected us
in a field near Camblain, and said that he was much
pleased indeed with our turnout. General Montagu-
Stuart-¥ortlev was equally omplimentary at the
second inspection, and congratulated ail ranks on their
appearance and smartness, which, considering the state
of the trenches, was very creditable. The demonstra-

THE VIMY RII)GE. 121

tion was particularly interesting, and proved the futilitv
of the famo.us German flame proiector. As manv men
as possible were placed in a trench, while the demon-
strator, standing at 30 feet away with the machine,
turned on the flame. The wind was behind him, and
the flame, with a tremendous roar, leapt out about 30
yards. But the noise was the worst part, for the
burning liquid, vapourising as it left the machine,
became lighter than air, and in spire of all the efforts
of the I)cmonstrator, could hot be ruade to sink into
the trench, whose occupants wcre untouchcd, q'he
men were all rather amused at the whole performance
and suggested that we should bring the machine into
the line to warm them up on cold days.
On the 12th we marched once more to the line and
relieved the 4th Lincolnshires, this time for a four-dav
tour. \Ve round on arrival that the Boche a few hours
previously had blown a large mine in the left sector,
to be occupied bv " I) " Company" (Shields), so that in
addition to the work on the new trench, we had to
supply manv men for repairing this new damaKe--no
llght task, for manv vards of our front trench had dis-
appeared. To make work more difficult the Boche
was continualh- throwing bombs and rifle grenades to
trv and catch o.ur workinff parties, and it was only
after two davs' vigorous retaliation that xxe taught him
that it was wiser to keep quiet. The leading spirit in
this retaliation was Çaptain Shields himself, who would
sit in lais dug-out listening for a (-;erman bomb. If he
heard one he would rush out, coat off and sleeves
rolled up, and throw back as manv Mills' bombs as he
could lav hands on, a formidable attack, for he could
throw a tremendous distance. 2nd Lieut. A. E.

1O THE FIFTH LE1CESTERSH1RE.

Brodribb was also a keen bomber who xvould stand at
a post and send back bomb for bomb until he had the
Boche beaten. Meanwhile the Battalion anarchists,
though they had bad luck with the " \Vest " pring
gun, wbich got buried in the bombardment, were very
successful in other ways. Serjeant Goodman, with his
catapult, flinging home-made infernal machines, first
frc m one post, then from another, must have been very
annoying to the German sentries, while Cpl. Archer,
firing salvoes of rifle grenades, eight at a time, always
bad a quietening effect on any Boche bomber who
ventured to try his luck in this way. So far as bombs
were concerned we had the upper hand, but the Boche
could alwavs start beavy shelling or mortaring, and
against this we seemed to have no effective retaliation.
He diÇ! particularly heavy damage with these one
morning in this tour, a few hours after we had been
visited bv General Byng, the Corps Commander, who
went round the front line. On this occasion we had
two killed and six wounded bv a direct hit on the
trencb, while the F.O.O., who was o.bserving at the
time, was also badly wounded.
Towards the end of tbe tour the situation became
quieter and we went once more into the Talus t wait
for relief by the _°Sth Division, whose advance parties
had already visited the line, and who were expected in
a few davs. The Boyau d'Ersatz, re-named Ersatz
Alley for the sake of simplicity, had lately been heavily
shelled, and it was therefore decided to open up Boyau
1, 2, :, as an alternative route t.o trenches, calling it
" "Vortlev Avenue," in honour of the Major General.
Parties from all companies worked dav and night at
tbis, soon making it passable, though it would always

THE VIMY RIDGE. 123

be dangerously exposed to view. Unfortunately "A '"
Company xvere shelled one day while at xvork, and we
lost 2nd Lieut. Pickworth, who had to be sent to
Hospital, and eventually to England, with a bad wound
in the lungs.
Meanwhile offensive mining operaticms were being
undertaken by both sides with increased activity. The
British Tunnellers, who had relieved the French mining
companies, found that in several places, unless they
themselves blew big mines at once, the Boche would
blow them instead, so blew big craters without delay.
To this the Boche retaliated, and for the past xveek
there had been an average of txv mines a night on the
Divisional front, most of them in the sector on out
right. But on the night of the 20th our Brigade xvas
also involved, and the 4th Lincolnshires lost most o.f
their centre company in an explosion which demolished
nearlv 100 yards-of their front line. The shock xvas
terrific, and could be felt so violently even in out valley
behind, that Captain Barton went to see what had
happened. Some half-hour later, when the Lincoln-
shire C.O. went to the scene of the disaster, he round
the " Doc " there by himself, digging out an injured
man in the middle of the gap. No British troops had
yet arrived, and his nearest neighbours were the Boche
lobbing bombs from the other side of the new crater.
This latest blow shattered out front line so badly
that it was quite unfit to hand over to a new Division,
taking over this part of the line for the first time, and,
as the Lincolnshires had not enough men to repair it
themselves, xve had to help them. On the 21st, there-
fore, when the rest of the Battalion was relieved bv the
Lancashire Fusiliers and went back for the night to

12,t THE FIFTH LEI£'ESTERSHIRE.

Camblain L'Abbé, "D " Company staved behind in
the Talus till dusk and then went up to work, spending
the night under R.E. supe'ision, digging in the gap.
A screen of bombers lay out n tbe crater lip, uhile the
rest worked, througb mud, water and pouring rain to
trv and produce some kind of figbting trehch. As fast
as tbev dug, their new work collapsed, but at last a cut
was made, and bv morning tbere as at least com-
munication across the gap, tbougb the trencb was
terriblv shallow and gave no real protection. Tbe
following day, "D "' Company on lorries, the rest of
the Battalion bv march route, we moved tbrough
Cambligneul and Aubigny to t'enin-I)oPfine, where we
were t billet for a rest. " B " and " C " Companies
vere with Brigade Headquarters and tbe Lincolnsbires
in l'enin. "l'be Headquarters and "D " Company bad
a large farm, and "A "" Company billets in the hamlet
of Doffine.
Here we staved for a week. A Staff ride under the
Brigadier formed the chier incident in our training,
while our recreation was enlivened bv an excellent Bat-
talion Sports Meeting. Great keenness was sbown in
everv event, and there were consequently s.me well-
contested races :--"A "" and "C "' Companies divided
the prizes between them. "A " Çompany won the
long-distance bomb-throwing, tug-of-war, relav and
stretcher-bearer races, " Ç " the accurate bomb-
throwing, --mile, sack and three-legged races. Brigade
Headquarters came to watch, bringing their hand with
them, and tbe General ave awav the prizes at the end
of the dav. The weather was good and we all spent a
verv pleasant afternoon.
The 2îth April bmught us orders to return again to

THE VIMY RII)GE. 125

the line, this time to xx'ork u'ith the Tunnellers, French
and English, in the neighbourhood of Neuville St.
Vaast. The folloxving dav the C.O. and most of the
Company Oflàcers went to Mont St. Eloi Io recon-
noitre, returning in the evening. \Vhile getting into
a car in St. Eloi Colonel Jones was slightly wounded
in the left hand by a six-inch shell, xvhich burst along-
side the car. Ho xvas sent to Hospital, but returned
to us ton davs later. On the "29th xx'e moved into
Neuvillc St. Vaast, living in tuncls and dug-outs, and
provided large xvorking partics in the mines. Tacticallv
we were at the disposal of the 25th l)ivision, to whorn
we lent one or two Lexvis Gun teams. The xvork
consisted almost entirelv of clearing sa¢Ibags from the
mine-shafts ad distributing them alo.ng out treches,
as far as possible out of sight. It was hard and
dangerous xx'ork, as was proved bv an accident which
happened on the îth Ma.v, the night belote we were
relieved. The enemv blev a counter-mine close to
one of the saps vhere " D " Company were working,
bur.ving the French miners, and completely destroying
the u'hole sap. Txvo of the four men at worl¢ xvcre
noyer seen agai»; the other two, bruised and shaken,
rnanaged to crawl half-naked out of the xvreckage.
On the 9th Ma.v, after spending a night in tents at
Mont St. Eloi, we went bv motor-'bus through Avesnes-
le-comte, L;encourt, Grand Rullecourt, to Lucheux,
where we went into billets. \Ve left at Vimv a party
of -°5 mon under Lieut. A. ]I. Barroxccliffe, working
xvith the R.E. (TunneIlers). 5Iost of them graduaIIy
became sappers, and we saw verv few of them ever
again. During these txvo last months there had been
onlv one important change in the persolnel.

12 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Stims.on, who had been at the Stores since the begin-
ning of the war, and whose knowledge of French had
been as invah, able to Captain "Vorley as his energy and
skill with " mobilisation store stables," returned to
England. C.S. Ii/. Gorse became R.Q.M.S., and in
lais place J. HïII became C.S.M. of "A " Company.

CHAI»TER VII.

GOMMECOURT.

10th May, 1916. 5rd July, 1916.
The next tcn days, spent in Lucheux, were as pleasant
as any in the war. After the mud, cold and damp
of Vimy, we could well appreciate the spring weather,
the good billets and the excellent c.ountry in which we
now round ourselves. Lucheux, a very old French
village with its castle and gateway, stands on the edge
of a still older forest a few mlles North of Doullens,
and tbe majority of the inhabitants, under the guidance
of a very energetic Mayor, did all they could to make us
comfortable. Work was not too hard, and out chier
labour was making wattle revctments in the forest--a
good task for a hot day--and practising musketry on a
home-ruade rifle range outside the village. The
mounted otticers were partcularly fo,rtunate, for the
forest was full of tracks and rides, and each morning
soon after dawn the more energetic could be seen
cantering under the dripping trees in the early morn-
ing May mists--bare headed and in shirt sleeves.
Meanwhile the arrival of some new oftïcers filled the
gaps in the Mess caused by Vimy. First Colonel
Jones returned, with the piece of shrapnel still in his
hand, but otherwise very fit. Soon afterwards two
new oflïcers, 2nd Lieutenan.ts H. A. Lowe and G. E.
Banwell, joined us, and at the saine time Capt. R. C.

121S THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

L. Mould and Lieut. D. B. l'etch returned from
England. Several large drafts of N.C.O.'s and men
arrived, manv of thcm old hands, vho had been
wounded, some of them more than once, although as
we know xvell there were many soldiers in England who
had never ver seen a day's fighting.
Just at this rime another important change was ruade
in out training. For manv months now we had been
taught the bomb to the exclusion of almost everv other
w.eapon, now at last the bayonet was returning to its
former posi.tion of importance. The great exponent
of the art of bayonet fighting was a Major Campbell, of
the Army Gvmnastic Staff, whose lectures were alreadv
well known at the Army Schools, and who was now
sent round the country to talk to ail Battalions. He
had devised an entirelv new scheme of bayonet instruc-
tion on verv simple vet practical lines, doing "away
xvith manv of the old drill-book " points and parties,"
and training arm and rifle to act with the eye, hOt on
a word of command. His poxvers as a lecturer were
as great as lais keenness for his subject, and for two
hours he held the attention of a hall full of ail ranks,
speaking so vividlv that hOt one of us but came away
feeling that we were good enough to fight six Boche,
given a bavonet. He was particularly insistent on hot
driving the bavonet home too far, and we shall alwavs
remember lais " throat two inches is enough, kidnevs
ontv four inches, just in and out." His svstem has
now been adopted throughout the British Army, and
ail 191î recruits xvere trained in it, but to us it came
none too soon, for we xvere fast forgetting that we ever
had such a weapon as a bavonet.
On the 20th Mav out xvork in the forest came to an

GOMMECOURT. 129

end and, as the Brigade was wanted for fatigues nearer
the line, we moved by Pommera and Pas to Souastre, a
village about threc mlles from the front trenches. The
Sherwood Foresters were at present holding the
Divisional front, and out chier task in the nev area
was digging cable trenches from back Headquarter
positions to forward batteries and obsel-vation posts,
building and stocking ammunition and bomb stores, and
assisting in the construction of numcrous gun pits. In
fact, we were once more preparing as fast as possible
for a " big push," though at the moment it was hot
quite certain who was going to do the pushing ; rumour
allotted this task to the 46th l)ivision. The work was
verv hard, for di,,in, , a deep narrow trench, or loading
flints at XVarlincourt quarries are no light tasks, and
the weatber ruade conditions even more diflàcult than
thev might otherwise have been. One dav it was so
hot as to make continuous work for more than a few
hours impossible, while the next, there would be three
or four torrential tain storms, filling ail the trenches,
and turninff the cross-coun.trv tracks to avenues of mud.
However, in spite of out work, we managed to bave
some fo.otball, and the I)ivisional Commander once
more presented a cup. We started well, beattng the
5th Lincolnshires in the second round, but then found
ourselves opposed to out old rivais, the 4th Battalion,
for the Brigade finals. The gaine caused the keenest
excitement, and with the score at two. goals ail, the
enthusiasm through the second half was immense.
Unfortunately', there is a rate agalnst out defeating the
4th Battalion, and, just before the end, out opp.o,nents
mana«e A,..  to score the winnlng goal.
On the -°4th Mav the heavv tain had ruade the

Lens from tle Air
rl Biais rie lqiaum«mt).

GOM1MECOL RT. 131

trenches so wet that the garrison was unable to keep
them clear, and in consequence we had to send a large
working party up the line to help the Sherwood
Foresters. The line, which we now saw for the first
time, ran from about half a mlle North of Hébuterne,
just East of FoncqueviIIers, and northwards towards
Mv,nchy-au-bois, held bv the enemv. FoncqueviIIers
was the centre of the position, and opposite it lay
Gommecourt, a snaall village and Chateau, with a wood
on one flank and the Çhateau park on the other--a
strong posPdon strongly held. Further North, l'igeon
\Vood and a little salient of trenches caIIed the " Z "
were opposite the left of our I)ivisional front, while in
the middle of No Man's Land, which averaged about
400 vards wide, stood the ruins of Gommecourt
Sucrerie, twentv vards from the main Foncquevillers-
Gommecourt Road.
Out trenches xvere in a somewhat curious condition.
I)uring the winter the l)ivisien occup.ving this sector
had round that thev were too weak to hold the whole
trench, s'c> had selected certain positions xvhich they had
strongl.v fortified and wired, and then filled the re-
mainder of the trench with loose wire. The bad
weather soon caused the disused sections of the trench
to collapse, fixing the loose wire very firmlv on either
side. From a purely defensive point o.f vlew there was
no harm in this, but anv attacking force would need
the whole trench for assemblv purposes and to " jump
off," and the work of clearing the lo.ng wired-up
sections xvas verv hard indeed. The posts themselves
were well dug and well sighted, there were one o.r two
good communication trenches, and FoncqueviIlers, still
well preser'ed in spite of its proximity" to. the Boche,

132 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

providcd excellent homes for Battalio.n Headquarters,
support Çc.mpanies, and even baths and eanteen. The
enemy, exeept for some " rum jars " and heavy trench
mortars from (ommecourt, xvas fairly quiet on the
whole front, and, except when trousers had to be
discarded to allow of wading in the front line, the
trenches were bv no means uncomfortable.
For the rest of 3,Iav we staved at Souastre,
occasionallv visiting the line with xvorking parties, or
on totlrs cf inspection, but for the mo.st part working
in the Foncqtlevillers plMn, where battery positions
withotlt ntlmber wcre being built. Bv the end of thc
month we learnt the mcaning of ail these preparati.ons.
(iommecotlrt was to be attacked in the near future in
conjunction with cMaer greater attacks further South.
The Staffords and the Sherwood Foresters were going
to do the attack with their right on the Sucrerie, their
left on the " Z," while the 56th l)ivisio,n on out right
would attack the village from the S.E. The Park,
most of the village, and the Chateau would thus not
be directlv attacked, but it was hoped that the two
I)ivisions xvould meet on the East side, and so eut off
large numbers of Germans in the isolated area. Out
Brigade was to be in reserve. Meanvhile, a large full-
sized rnodel of the German lines was dug near Lucheux
forest, where the attacking Brigades started praetising
at once. lncidentally the mod.el took many aeres of
arable land, and, though i.t was very xvell paid for, the
French .rumbled loudly, and the 46th Division was
known in Lucheux as " les autres Boches."
On the evening of the 4th June we moved up through
Foncquevillers, and relieved the 5th Sherxvood
Foresters in the right sector, opposite Gornmeeourt

GOMMECOURT. 133

Pari<. A road and bank, running parallcl xxith the
front line, and ahout :00 vards behind it, provided
Battalion Headquarters. Behind this again, the
" Bluff," a steep bank, gave the support Company
a good home. Here we remained until the 21st, with
a two-davs' holidav at Humbercamps in the middle, a
holidav spent in digging cable tronches and carryin
trench mortars and anamunition. It was a long rime
to renain in the line, but one Company lived always in
a large bouse in Foncquevillers, where thev xvere very
eomfortable, and c,uld get baths and other luxuries.
The ènemy xvas hot verv active, and our most im-
portant task was nov to prevent him from guessing
our intentions. This soon became impossible, for, in
addition to the ever increasing Artillery, the new table
trenches, and the Lucheux model, we started to dig a
new line of tronches some 100 vards in front of out
front line, along the attack secto,r. Vt'e, being opposite
the Park, did hot have to do this, but the I)ivision on
our right and the rest of our Brigade on the left were
both out digging every night. After the first night it
became exceedingl.v dangerous, for the Boche, kn'o,xving
exactlv where we xvere working, kept up a steady
bombardment on the right with trench mortars, and, on
the left, swept the ground continuouslv vith accurate
machine gun tire. 'tVe were ordered to keep all hostile
patrols out of No Man's La.nd, and consequently out
parties were out most of the night. The Boche, how-
over, showed no inclination to do the saine, and, even
though we fixed up an insulting notice board in front
<.f lais wire, never put in an appearance. Incidentallv
the back of the board was covered with luminous pai_nt,
and a Lewis gun xvas trained on it, so that anv inter-
ference would have been promptl.v dealt with.

134 THE FIFTH LEI('E.TER.H1RE.

Before we left the sector we were reinforced bv a
draft of eight subaltern ofiïcers--2nd Lieuts. A.
Ernrnerson, F. \V. A. Salrnon, \V. H. Reynolds, .-k. S.
Heffill, A. \V. C. ZeIIey, M. J. S. Dysv.n, \V. K.
Callard, and S. (;. H. Street, while at the sarne tirne
we lost 21d Lieut. Brittain, who went to Hospital and
thence to England.
.-kfter practisig their attack several tirnes, the
Staffordshires round that they had more tasks to fulfill
than thev could accornplish. Accordingly they asked
for help, al"ld were allotted one Battalion florn our
Brigade, for which duty ve, having suffered least at
Hohenzollern, 'ere chosen. \Ve vere to advance as
a ninth wave behild the attackers, carrying stores and
amrnunition; while one Conapany vas to dig a trench
joining the Sucrerie to the (]errnan fvo,nt line--a com-
munication trench for use after the fight. As soon as
we left trenches and reached a hut camp at XVarlin-
court e, too, started practising for the battle, which,
we vere told, -ould take place at davn on the 29th
June.
Anv account of our doings during this rnonth would
be incornplete vithout a reference to our one relaxation.
The Divisional C,ncert Part.v, started in 1915, had
more or less ceased to exist, but in Souastre in a large
barn, the 56th Divisional troupe, the " Bow Bells,"
perforrned nightly to crowded houses. Many of us
found tirne to. go more than once, and will always
rernernber w.ith pleasure the songs, dances, and
sketches, the drurnrner-ballet-dancer, and the catching
rnelodies of "O Roger Rurn " and other nonsense.
Meanwhile, feverish preparations were being rnade
for the cornng battle, vhile the weather was as bad as

GOM1MECOURT. 135

possible. There never was a wetter June, and the new
assembh- trenches, the recenth" cleared or newlv du K
communication trenches, l)erbv l)y'ke, Nottingham,
Stafford, Lincoln and Leicester Lanes, Roberts Avenue
and " Crawl Boys Lane," and the cable trenches were
alwavs fuli of water. \Vork on the gun pits was
seriouslv delayed, and manv batteries had to more in
before their pits were complete. Fortunateiv the
enemv's artillerv was hot 1:oo active, and Foncque-
villers was almost left alone, though he did one dav
bombard the Çhurch. No damage was done, except
that afterwards the one remalning face of the clock
stated the rime as 2-15 instead of 11-t5, as for the past
manv mo,nths. Tbe village was full of stores and
expl,osives, and almost everw cellar held a bomb or
ammunition reserve, while the Church crypt was filled
with Mills and Stokes mortars under the cave of
Serjeant Goodman.
On the _'24th June our Artillerv registration started,
and, with earh" morning bombardments and sudden
harassing shoots at night, we ruade a considerable
noise--" the sullen pufls of high explosives bursting
in battalions," as Beach Thomas wrote in the " Daily
Mail "--and clearlv showed the Boche that we meant
business. This apparently was the inten.tion of the
Staff, for, as the main attack was to be South of ris,
it was the object of the IIIrd. Armv to attract as manv
enemv as possible ,on this the extreme flank of the
attack. So successful were we, that we dld actuallv
frighten the enemv into reinforcing the Gommecourt
area wlth an extra Division--unfortunate for us who
xvere to attack the place, but doubtless of value to the
4th Army, who vould thus bave one Division less

136 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

against them. (ommecotlrt was naturally strong, and
this addition to the garrison ruade it doubly so, while
the Artillerv found it verv difficult to destroy the wire
which was thick along the whole front. The trees in
the w.o>d were all wired, and there were strong belts
in front of everv trench, so that our field guns and
trench mortars were kept hard at work almost all dav
every da 3 , in their efforts to eut sufficient gaps for us.
The enemy's gtlnS replied by registering out communi-
cation trenches, and then remained silent.
The camp at \Varlincourt was uncomfortable, and
had no. olcers' mess, a luxurv which we much needed.
However, Colour-Serjeant Collins displayed his usual
skill, and, while Major Toller fixed up a home-ruade
marquee of wagon sheets and odd tarpaulins, he
managed to carrv on the cooking almost in the open.
In spite of the rain which came through the roof and
under the sides we had some excellent evenings, and
managed to ejoy ourselves. Our work was mostlv
training, which now included rapid wiring. I!1 this we
held a competition, Inallv won bv ' B " Company, who
put out a " double apron " French wire fence 20 vards
long in jtlSt ,e-er four minutes--a good performance,
though the other Companies declared that this fence
would hot have stopped a rabbit, to say nothing of a
Boche. Meanwhile, Major Toller suddenly received
orders to report to the 51st Division to command a
battalion of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders,
and, nmch to his disgust, had to leave us just before
the fight. In anv case he would bave been out of the
fight, for the authorities had at last realzed the mad-
ness of sending a xxhole Battalion into action, and to
avoid a repetition of the post-Hohenzollern difficulties,

GO.MMECOt'RT. 137

every Battalion was ordered to leave behind, at
Souastre, the 2nd in Command and a proportion of
officers, N.C.O.'s and specialists. These, known as
the " Battle 1)etails," xvere subsequently- increased in
number, and later a G.H.Q. publication fixed exactlv
who would and who would hot accompany a battalion
int,o battlc. As Major Bcaslcy had left us at Vimv and
hot returned, Çapt. Shields became 2nd in Command
and had to star bebind, a cruel blox to him, for be was
essentiallv a fighting man. His Compan3, " I)," was
taken bv Lieut. J. \V. Tomson of "A " Company.
Capt. \Vard Jackson had " A," Capt. Knighton " B,"
and Capt. Moo.re "C." R.S.M. R. E. Small was
accidentallv wounded during re»:olver practice, and
during the few weeks that he was away lais place was
taken bv C.S.M.J. \Veir.
I)uring the last tvo davs before the battle the
weather became worse, and tbe rain fell in torrents.
Ours was a comparatively drv sector of the line, and
vet our trenches xere full of water, so that the cotmtrv
in the neigbbourlmod o the Somme vallev became
impossible. .go bad was it tbat at the last moment the
whole offensive was postponed until 48 ours later--the
1st July. The attacking Brigades had alreadv occupied
their front line and assemblv positions before tbe new
cancelling orderarrived, and the Stafl had now to decide
whether to leave them for 48 bours in these bopelessly"
wet trenches, or take lhem back to, rest--the latter
course would necessitate two marches, in and out, in
two davs. The marrer was settled bv the Crps Com-
mander, who wished to see another practice attack over
the Lucheux trenches, so the 4th Leicestershires and
4th Lincolnshires held the line while Stafl'ords and

1,'8 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Sherwood Foresters marched back. It was a long way,
nearlv eleven mlles, from Foncquevillers to Lucheux,
and bv the time thev re, turned t.o tre'nc,hes on the a0th
thev were ail verv tired. However, everv man knew
exactlv what to do, wbere to go and when; the rrost
minute details had been worked out, and even in-
dividuals as well as sections and platoons had been
given definite tasks, so there xvas everv prospect of a
successful fight the next dav. It was true the wire was
in several places uncut, but still there were plenty of
gaps, and tbis sbou[d be no obstacle.
.q.c3n after naidnight :{0th June/lst Jul.v all the attack-
ing troops were in position, and we moved up to
Midland Trencb, an assemblv trench running North
and South about 700 vards \Vest of Foncquevillers
Cburch. " A " Company {Vard Jackson} and " D "
Çompany {Tomson) were in cellars and dug«ots in
the village, since thev would be wanted first. There
were manv communication trenches along the front, up
whicb we should advance, for at the last moment ail
were ruade " up " trenches until after tbe attack;
originally some were " up " and some " down." This
eleventh hour alterati,o.n caused considerable confusion
later. Meanwhile, throughout the night out gunners
fired oo'ntinuoush- o.n the Boche trenches, villages, and
particularl.v roads and railways, for we wished, if
possible, to stop ail rations and ammunition from
the G, ommecourt garrison.
Dawn came at last--a fine dav. At 6-2 out barrage
started, far more intense than anything we had used
during tbe previous days, s.o that the Boche mav bave
guessed what was .-,in« to happen. Smoke shells were
mixed with the H.E., and at 7-30 a smoke trench

GOMMECOURT. 139

mortar screen was put down, and the Infantry ad-
vanced. Four waves crossed No Man's Land, and then
the smoke blew away and the whole ¢3,f our attack was
revealed. On the right the Staffords, passing the
Sucrerie, round the German wire still strong, and had
to struggle through where thev could, onlv to find manv
enemy wlth their machine guns undamaged bv our
bombardment. On the lcft the 5th and 7th Sherood
Foresters entered the \Vood and pressed on, leaving the
first enemv lines to the rear waves. But the smoke
had gone and these rear waves had no protection. As
the fifth line lcft our trenches it was met with machine
gun tire from the North, from the " Z " and from the
front line, 3ver which the Sherwood Foresters had
passed. None the less the wave struggled on, until
artillery was added to machine guns, field guns from
Monchy enfiladed No lIan's Land, every German
battery sent its shells into the carrying parties, and the
attack was stopped. The two leading Staffordshire
Battalions, except for a few who reached the enemy's
lines, were held up on his wire or near the Sucrerie,
where manv fell. The two leading Sherwood Foresters
had crossed No Man's Land almost unscathed, had
entered the German lines complete, and were ncver
seen again. Commanding Officers, Battalion Head-
quarters and their Companies were lost. The other
four Battalions, after losing their leading wave, re-
mained in our front trenches and sent back messages
for m,ore smoke, while here and there gallant efforts
were ruade by platoons and sections to take help into
the wood.
Meanwhilc, Capt. %Vard Jackson with his Companv
Serjeant Major--J. R. Hill--and two platoons (Hep-

130 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

worth and Salmon) went forward with the leading
parties to dig tbeir trench from the Sucrerie. In
spite of the heavv tire, and the losses of the attacking
Brigades, thev started work and actually marked out
their trench. But their task was impossible. Capt.
\Vard Jackson, hit in the back and shoulder and verv
badlv wounded, was onlv saved bv Serjt. Major Hill,
who pluckil.v carried him out of the fight; and, seeing
that the attack had failcd, "-'nd Lieut. Hepworth ordered
the party back to our lines, where they round the rest
of thc Battallon in the support line and communication
trenches, waiting for the Staffordshires to more
f:orward.
The situation was now critical. So far as we knew,
the attack of the 56th Division on our right had been
successful, yet, if we did hot meet them bv 2 p.m. on
the far side of Gommecourt, hot onlv vould the
operati be a failure, but there was every probabilit 5
of their being eut off bv the Germans in Gommecourt
Park. An attempt was therefore ruade to re-organize
«tt once for another attack, but this was round im-
possible. Out lines, hopelessly stickv from the bad
weather, ere now co'ngested with dead and wounded;
the communication trenches were jammed with stretcher
cases and parties coming in, the " up " and " down "
rules were hot observed, and, above all, the enemy's
artillerv enfiladed the front line from the North, the
communications from the East. The Division on out
left did nothing bv wav o.f counter battery work, and
we were left to face thelr opposing artillerv as well as
out own. There was also another serious difficultv to
re-organization. The men were too well trained in their
particular duties. A private soldier who bas been told

GOMMECOURT. 1¢1

every da), for a month that his one dutv will be to carrv
a box of bombs to point Q, cannot readily forger that,
and take an efficient part in an ordinary unrehearsed
attack. This, the Staff soon discovered, and, to give
rime for ail arrangements tobe ruade, a new attack was
ordered for 3-30 p.m. with artillery and, if possible,
a smoke screen.
Meanwhile, the enemv's artillerv was still active, and
we suffercd. 2nd Lieut. Callard, a most promising
junior oflicer, was killcd, and with him C.S.M. 1:.
Johnson of " C " Crnpany. 2nd Lieuts. Russell and
Creed were both wounded, and six men killed and
scveral woundcd at thc samc time, ncarlv ail by shells
in the communication trenches.
At 3-30 p.m. our Artillery opened once more and
our Companics stnrtcd forward, onlv to find that the
Staffordshires ruade no more. It was hot surprising.
Many of them had hot vet heard the rime for the new
attack, manv wcre too tired to be much use, no one
was really rcadv though some few tried to leave out
lines. Such an assault was bound to fail, and for-
tunately Col. Jones, who was on the spot atd just about
to start with Capt. Allen, received the order to cancel
the attaci« It would have been a useless waste of lires,
for no good could bave corne of such a half-hearted
effort. Half-an-hour later the Staffordshires were
ordered to withdraw and the 5th Leicestershires to take
over the front line, while the 5th Lincolnshires came in
on out left and relieved the Sherwood Foresters.
Ail hope of trying to help the Division on out right
had to be abandoned. Thev bad reached the ene_rny's
third line and captured several pris.oners in the morn-
ing; some of lhern actually reachei:l the meeting place,

142 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

but they, too., had toface two sectors of opposing
artillery, for the attack on Serre on their right had
failed, and their carrying parties and all supports for
the leading u.nits were hopelessly enfiladed frorn the
South. Their losses were verv heavy, and in the even-
ilag, xxhen it becarne obvious that we could never help
thern, thev left the enernv's lines and returned to their
own trenches. But there was still hope of saving sorne
of the rnissing Sherwood Foresters. Thev were known
to bave reached the wood, for their lights had been
seen bv out contact patrol aeroplane. Unfortunately at
rnîd-dav this aeroplane tan into the cable of the kite
balloon, and both were out o,f action for sorne hours--a
rnost unhlckv accident. In case sorne of these her-
wo,od Foresters rnight be still alive, the 5th Lincoln-
shires rnade another advance at rnidnight---only a few
minutes after arriving in the line--but round the enernv
present in strength, and lost heavilv belote thev could
regain our lines.
The test of the night and ail the followinff day were
spent in collccting the wounded and dead frorn out
lines, frorn the newlv dug and now water-logged
assemblv trench in ff.ont, and frorn No Man's Lan.d.
Once more Capt. Barton display'ed the rnost wonderful
courage, rescuing three rnen frorn a shell h.ole, in broad
daylight, less than 200 vards frorn the Gerrnan lines,
and spending the xvhole dav wandering about frorn one
part to another, quite regardless of the danger so long
as he could find a wounded man to help. The next dav
was spent in the saine way, and bv the evening the
trenches had been considerablv tidied up, wlaC, at 9
p.m. we were relieved bv the London Regt. (Rangers),
and rnarched back to Bielavillers au Bois, leaving some

GOMM ECO['RT. 1J*3

guides behind to help the newcorners. These last t'o
davs cost us several casualties, anaongst thern Serjt.
R. E. Foster, who was badlv wounded bv a shell.
After the battle, General SHOW, the Corps Com-
mander, sent round the following message :--" The
Corps Cornrnander wishes to congratulate the troops
of the 46th Divisio.n for the rnanner in which they
fought and endured during the fighting o.u the 1st
July. Many gallant acts, both by units and individuals,
are to hand. Alflough (;omrnecourt bas hot fallen into
out hands, the purpose of the attack, which was rnainlv
to contain and kill Gerrnans, was accornplished." To
this was added: " The Major General Cornrnanding
wishes all ranks lo understand thoroughly that out
recent attack on the Gornrnecourt salient in concert
vith the 56th Division ernbraccd two purposes : (a) The
capture of the position; (b) The retaining of consider-
able numbers of Gerrnan troops in out imrnediate front
in order to prevent thern takin. part in resisting the
advance of our troops in the South. Although the first
purpose was hOt achieved, the second was fulfilled,
and there is no doubt that out action on the first
materiallv assisted out troops in the 4th Arrnv and
eontributed to their success. The above to be read to
all troops on parade."
In spite of this sornewhat cornforting" message, out
action on the 1st was a failure. This cannot be denied.
The retaining enerny's troops on out front was done bv
out Artillerv and other preparatlon, and the extra
Gerrnan Division xvas lured into the line oppositc us
at least three days before the battle. Out assault rnade
hot the slightest difference to this. Out object on the
1st was to capture Gommeoeurt, and this we failed to

lt:[ THE FIFTH LEI('ESTERNHIRE.

do. It is comparatively easy to criticise after the
cvent and find misCakes, but there were one or two
obvious rea»ons for the failure which were apparent to
all. The rapid dispersal of the smoke barrage, the
terrible enfilade b.ombardment from the left conseqtlent
on the inactivitv of the Division on out left, the failure
of out Artillery to smash up German posts, and in some
cascs German wire, and, perhaps the fact that out
preparations were so obvious that the Boche was wait-
ing for us. But in the face of ail this, fresh troops
in ideal conditions might bave succeeded. Ours were
tired after their journey t.o Lucheux and back, had had
to lire several nigh.ts in hopelessly foui and water-
logffed trenches, and, so far from fresh, were almost
worn before thev startêd to attack.

CHAPTER VIII.

MONCHY AU BOIS.

5rd July, 1916. 29th Oct., 1916.
NOnTH of Gommecourt the enemv's line, after
p.assing Pigeon wood, ran a fe yards ,Vest of Essarts
village along the high ground to within a short distance
of Monchy au Bois, then, turning V'est, made a small
salient round this village, which lav in a cup-like
hollow. Between Essarts and Monch.v, and on higher
round still, stood Le Quesnoy Farm, which, with
some long tall bedges in the neighbourhood, provided
the Boche with excellent and well co.ncealed obser-ation
posts and batterv positions. Bebind Monchy itself,
and again on high ground, was Adinfer wood, and near
it Douchv village, bo¢c.h full of well concealed batteries,
while the trees in Monchv itself gave the enemv plenty
of cover for machine guns and trench mortars.
Opposite tbis our line was almost entirely in the open.
From Foncquevillers it tan due North to the Hannes-
camps-Monchy road, more than 1,000 vards from the
enemv opposite Essarts and Le Quesnoy; then, cross-
ing the ridge, dropped steeply to the Monchv cup,
where, at the Bienvillers road, the lines xvere only 200
vards apart. The onlv buildings near the line vere
the tvo Mo-nchv mills, North and S.outh, both about
80 yards from the front line and both little more than

146 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

a heap of bricks with an O.P. concealed in the rniddle.
Just South of the Bienvillers road a small salient, sorne
180 vards across tan out towards the enernv's lines,
cverlooked frorn two sides, and alwavs being battered
out of recognitio,n bv trench mortars and bombs .
The test of out front line systern was more or less
ordinary--deep trenches witb, at intervals, a " ruined "
dug-out fo.r Cornpany Headquarters. Owing to the
appalling weatber ail trenches were very wet, including
the ccrnrnunication trenches, of which there were
several--Chiswick Avenue opposite Essarts, Lulu Lane
alongside the Hannescarnps road, with Collingbourne
Avenue branching off it, and, on the Mo.nchv side,
Shell Street in the middle, and Stoneygate Street along-
side the Bienvillers road. The last had been so named
by the Leicestershire " New Army " Brigade, who had
originally built the trench. Hannescarnps, a minute
village, lay 1,000 yards floxn the line, partly hidden by
a hollow, and, with an excellent bank full of dug-outs,
was a home for Battalion Headquarters and one Corn-
pany. Another Headquarters xvas in Shell Street, and
lhe Support Battalion, with rnany batteries and others,
|ived in Bienvillers au Bois, about 1½ bebind the
line. ]'ornrnier, la Cauchie, and occasi,onally Hurnber-
carnps were test billets still further back. Beyond them
a arge farm, la Bazéque, w, as the h/)rne o,f all the
Brigade transport and Q.M. Stores. Such was the
sector into which the Division went after Gornrnecourt
to test and gradually recuperate. Out Brigade had the
Monchy front and the stretch with the wide No Man's
Land opposite Essarts; we, as a Battalion, were sorne-
tirnes North, sornetirnes South of the Hannescarnps
Road, the o,ther Brigades were further North, in the

MON('HY AL" BOIS. 147

Ransart, Bailleulval and Berles area. Here we stayed,
with one rest later on, for eight months.
Soon after out arrival in Bienvillers, we were much
surprised to see Colonel Toller again re,turn to us. \Ve
thought that he really had got a permanent Command
when he went to the Highlanders, but apparently a
former Co.lonel returned a few davs after he arrived
there, and he was consequently sent back. However,
there were noxx many vacancies in our Division, and
Col. Toller was at once sent to command the 7th Sher-
wood F.oresters, the Robin Hoods--an appointment
which poved to be permanent, and which he held for
the next two years. At the saine rime, Lieut. N. C.
Marriott, wounded at Hohenzollern, returned to us,
and soon afterwards nd Lieut. J. C. Barrett joined us
flom England, while we lost 2nd Lieut. G. E. Banwell,
who. was slightly wounded at Gommeco.urt, and, after
several efforts to remain with his unit, had to go to
Hospital with a badly poisoned foot. \Ve also. lost our
Divisional Commander, Major General the Hon. E. J.
Montagu-Stuart-\Vortley, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.,
M. V.O., who went to England. Bef.ore he went, the
following notice appeared in orders :--" On relinquish-
ing the Command of the Division, General Stuart-
\Vortlev wishes to thank ail ranks, especi.ally those who
bave been with the Division since mobilization, for their
loyalty to him and unfailing spirit of dev¢ion to duty.
He trusts the friendship formed mav be lasting, and
wishes the Division good luck and God speed." To
quote the Battalion \Var I)iarv--" The Major General
bas commanded the Division since 1914; universal
regret is openly expressed at his departure."
The nexv Divisional Commander, Major General

14:8 THE I:IFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Thwaites, R.A., arrived soon afterards, and soon
ruade himself k.no.wn to all uni.ts, n.troducing himself
with a ceremonial inspection. Ours was at Bailleul-
mont, where we were billeted for a few days, and o,n the
afternoon of the 13th we formed up 650 strong to receive
bim. After inspecting each man very carefully', the
General addressed the Battalion, calling Çol. Jones
" Col. Holland," and us the 5th Leicesters, two
mistakes which were never forgotten, tt»ogh so.on for-
given. He congratulated us on out appearance, and
said that he read determination in out faces, promising
to kno.xv t,s better bv seeing us in the trenches. "vVe
then marched past him and went home.
Our first few tours in this new sector might well be
described as a nightmare of H,_,O and HS. It rained
verv hard, and all the trenches at once became full of
water--in some places so full that the garrison, as the
weather was warm, discarded trousers and walked
about with shirts tucked into sandbag bathing draxvers.
Some of the communication trenches were in a par-
ticularlv bad condition ,and worst o.f all was the verv
deep Berlin Trench running alongside the road from
Bienvillers to Hannescamps. A sort of " Southend-
pier" gridded watk had been built into one side "of
this about four feet fro.m the floor of the trench, and
il some places even this was overed, so that the water
in the trench itself was nearlv six feet deep. Pumps
proved almost useless, and it was obvious that some-
thing drastic would have tobe done if we were to
remain in this part o.f the world for the winter.
The H:2S was in cylinders. F,or some unknown
reaso.n the Special Brigade R.E., or " gas merchants "
as they were more popularly called, considered the

MONCHY AI_" BOIS. 14,9

Monchy hollow a particularly suitable place for their
poison attacks. The resuh was that we spent ail out
test periods carrying verv heavv cvlinders into the line
or zmt again, terriblv clumsy, awkward and dangerous
things to carry, while out trenches, already ruined by
the weather, were still further damaged, under-cut and
generally turned upside down to make room for these
cvlinders. Then again, the actual gas projection caused
a most appalling amount of trouble. The wind had to
be exactlv XVest, for a touch of North or South would
carry the poison over out miserable little salicnt, but at
rimes the wind was due East, and on one occasion it
remained obstinately in the wrong quarter for three
weeks, while we lived in dailv terror of somc chance
Boche shell hitting one of the cvlinders. On several
occasions we had to assist with smoke candles and
smoke bombs, and this, too, caused us much worry.
Perhaps at dusk the wind would be favourable, and
orders would arrive that gas would be discharged at
11-31. At I1-31 we, having heard nothing to the con-
trary, would light out smoke machines, and find no gas
turned on. At 12-55 we sho.uld get another message bv
some orderlv to sav " discharge postponed until 12-55 "
--then, of course, nto rime to warn anybody, and no
smoke left.
The reason for this delay in the communication of
orders was that out telephones were in a state of tran-
sition. \Ve had discovered that the Boche with his
listening sers could o,verhear all conversations carried
on bv the ordin.arv field telephone, and consequently it
was absolutely forbidden to use this instrument, except
in emergency, within 2,000 vards of the front line. A
new instrument, the " Fullerphone," was being intro-

150 THE FIFTH LEICESTERNHIRE.

duced which could not be overheard, but che could not
use it for talking; ail messages had to be " buzzed."
Incidentallv the " buzzing" process produced a con-
tinuous whining noise, and this, in a small Company
Headquarter dug-out, was almost enough to drive the
unhappy Company Cmmander off his head. The
Fullerphone, too, was verv scarce at first, so that
almost ail messages had tobe sent bv orderly, or runner
as he now began to be called. This caused so much
trouble that the next stage was the introduction of codes
and code names. At first these were verv simple, we
were " John " after Col. Jones, the 5th Lincolnshires
" Sand," from Sandall, etc., while " gas " became the
innocent " Gertie," and to attack xvas " to tickle."
One verv famous message xvas sent whe.n an expected
gas attack had to be suddenlv postponed--" John can
sleep quiet to-night, Gertie will not tickle." Later we
became " Sceptre," when all un,its in the Division were
called after race-horses, and stil! later, when Brigade
Headquarters became " Girl," we each had a ladv's
name; we xvere " Gertrude." It sounded somewhat
curious to hear a Staff Captain who had lost his
Brigadier ringing up a Battalion Headquarters to ask
" have vou seen a ' Girl ' about anvwhere? " The
" Bab " code was also introduced, a three-figure code
with innumerable permutations and combinations. The
whole thing xvas verv secret, and added much to the
worries of the Company Commander, who not only
had to be careful not to lose the code boek, but had
to remember, without writing it down, the Corps code
letter and number for the xveek.
In the saine way the Artillerv had all manner of
codes for everv conceivable ,cccasion. Various mes-

MONCHY AU BOIS. 151

sages were devised and entered in the Defence Scheme
for retaliation, S.O.S., raid purposes, etc., and woe
betide the luckless F.O.O. or Infantryman who sent the
wrong message. There were " co.ncentrates " and
" Test concentrates," and " attacks " and " Test
attacks," and " S.O.S. " and many others. If anv-
*hing serious really happened, the lines were alwavs
broken at once, and there remained o,nlv the rockets
and coloured iights. The S.O.S. signal was almost
sacred, hOt tobe used for a hostile raid, or when retalia-
tion was needed, but onlv in the event of the enemv
massing for a general attack. However, it as once
used--in a rather curius little battle fought on the
4th August, 1916.
Out trench s'rength at the time was verv xveak,
because two davs later xve were to raid the enemv's lines
opposite Mo,nchv salient, and the raiding party had been
left out of the line at Pommier to practice. At 3-30 a.m.
on the 4th the Boche, either annoved at our wire-
cutting, or to celebrate his favourite anniversary, the
declaration of war, opened a heavv tire with guns,
mortars, rifle grenades, co.loured lights and every'thing
els.e imaginable. The noise was terrific, and the CO.
and Adjutant rushed to the Defence Scheme to find
what was the correct message to senti; most of the
nise was at trench 86. Thev decided to tell the Gun-
ners " assist L," but, between F.O.O. and signais, this
reached the Artillerv as " assist 86," which was
meaningless, so thev did n'o'thing. Meanxvhile, our
Lewis Guns could be heard, so Col. Jones, unable to
telephone to Companies whose lines were ail cut, finallv
sent the S.O.S. The reply was prompt and terrifie.
There was plenty of ammuniion, and ail the gunners,

152 THE FIFTH LEI('ESTER.qHIRE.

wakened bv the bombardment, were onlv to,o anxious
to shoot, so that within a few minutes everv weapon,
from an 18 pounder to a 12 « gun on railwav mounting,
was raining shells into Mo.nchv and its surroundings.
It was verv effective, but n.cyne the less there had tobe
an enquir.v into " who had dared to use the .<,.O.S.,"
and, when the facts were ail brought to light, the
F.O.O., Lieut. Cave, partly responsible for the initial
mis.take, earned the name of " S.O.S. Cave," which
stuck to him till he left the Division.
The raid was nota great success. For several davs
"C " Company, who were chosen for the task, carried
out continuous practices at Pommier, first under Çapt.
M.ould, and later, when he had to go to Hospital with
septic tonsilitis, under Capt. Shields. Capt. Moore was
at the Armv School at the time. The Infantrv arrange-
ments were ruade satisfactorily, but there vas little or
no opportunity for the Gunners to observe the result of
their wire-cutting, with the result that, when the party
went over on the eveninff of the 5th, thev round no
gaps. The raiding party advanced in four groups, each
group with bombers, bavonet men, and sappers for
demolition work, and each under an officer--2nd
Lieuts. Steel, Barrett, Heffill and Morris. The party
removed all marks of identification, but wore their
oollars turned up, and a small patch of white on the
back of their collars for "mutual recognition.
At 11-0 p.m. the party left out trenches and lav out
in front of out wire, waiting for out bombardment,
which I5 minutes later opened on the enemv's front
line. The shooting was excellent, but the backward
burst from out 6 inch Howitzers caused several
casualties; amongst .o,thers 2nd Lieut. Steel was badly

MONCHY Al." BOIS. 153

wounded in the leg. At Zero, 11-25 p.m., we
advanced, but found no means of getting through the
wire, while the Bocbe sent numbers of bombs and rifle
grenades alo.ng the whole front. The part 3" acted
verv coo'llv and searchcd carefullv for gaps, but,
finding none, threw their bombs and returned, guided
to our lines by rockets and lanterns. Six men were
missing. A curious thing happened when out search
party, under L/Cpl. Archer, went out to look for
them. A German machine gun, hearing the move-
ment, opened tire, and, at the saine m.o,ment, out
'" Flying l'iff "--240 mm. trench mortar--which had
jammed during the barrage, suddenly went off and
dropped its sbcll cxactly" on the gun team. The
following night Coblev's body, one of the raiders,
was round in a shell-hole, and soon afterwards two
others, \Vorth and Sommers, returned to our lines,
having been lost the previous night. Barkbv was
round dead a dav later, and Duckett's bodv was buried
bv a patrol which round it during the following tour.
The sixth was l'rivate " Artv " Carr, who returned
unhurt at 11-0 p.m. on the 8rb, after three davs.
During the raid he had left his party, and, while they
worked to tbe left, looking for a gap, had gone to
the right, where, outside the raid area, he round the
wire thin. He had entered the German lines,
had some exciting times with a post which he bombed,
and then tried to get out, onlv to find that he had
moved awav from his original gap, and was now
confronted by some verv .trong wire. He did hOt
get through until dawn on the 6th, so then lav in a
shetl hole until dark, when he started to return. Tired
and somewhat exhausted, he lost hîs wav in the waste

|5-t THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

of shell holes and mortar cratcrs round the Monchy
Salient, and did hot finit]Iv find out lines until the
8th.
Out total casualties were three killed and one officer
and 15 wounded. To these must be added Captain

Barton, who had a most unfortunate accident. Always
wanting to be " up and doing," he wa'uched the raid
and heIped the wounded, standing on our front line
parapet, but, turning to re-enter the trench, slipped
and bayonetted ]ïimself in the thigh. It xvas not a

MONCHY AIJ BOIS. 155

very serious w,ound, but woulifl hOt heal, and he had
to be sent to England. \Vith him we lost another
valuable oNcer, 2nd Lieut. "Villiams, xvho, while acting
as bornb instructor at Brigade Headquarters, met with
an accident, and was woundcd in the head. Not long
aftervards, Serjt. Goodman, out chier N.C.O.
Instructor, who was wounded, and lost one of his legs
and part of an arm as the result of a bombing accident
at the I)ivisional School. 1)uring this first month out
casualties, " holding the line," were very slight,
though we lost three good N.C.O.'s through shell tire.
Serjt. Shreeves, of "C " Company, died of vounds,
Çpl. Ambrose, of "B " Company, was killed outright
near Hannescamps, and later Serjt. V. Gartshore, of
" C " Company.
Betweesa raids and gas attacks we were kept hard
at work repairing out trenches. General Kemp was
a sapper before he became an lnfantry Brigadier, and
we were soon instructed in the mvsteries of sump-holes,
" berms " and " batters," interlocking trench floor
boards, and the correct angles for the sloping sides of
a trench, while anyone who dared to undercut a parapet
for anv purpose had better hot be present the next time
that the General appeared. As far as possible all
the carpentry work was d<ne by the Sappers out of
trenches and sump-frames were sent up ready ruade,
also small dug-outs in numbered parts, easilv put
together; all we had to do vas to dig the necessary
holes. At the same time some genius invented the
"A " frame, a really wonderful labour saving device.
Hitherto floorboards had been supported on piles and
crossbars, while further and longer stakes were driven
in to carry the rivetment. The new frame shaped like

156 THE FIFTH LEICESTERNHIRE.

a flat-topped letter " A," was put in the floor of the

trench upside down. The legs
held tbe reverra.ont against the
rides, the floorboards rested on
the cross-piece, and the space
between the cross-piece and the
fiat top forrned a good drain.
These were first used in corn-
rnunication trenches only, where
the Monmouthshires were at

work for us; later we used thern in ail trenches
wherever possible.
Meanwbile, when not in trenches, we rested, first
at Bienvillers and later at Pornnrnier. Bienvillers had
rnany good billets, but was too full of our heavy
artillery to be pleasant, for the noise was often very
disturbing. Tbe enerny, too, used to shell the place,
and 2nd Lieut. Shipston had a most remarkable escape
one dav when standing in front of a first floor window,
shaving. A whizz-bang lait the window sill and carried
itself, sill and rnany bricks, between his legs into the
room; he hirnself was untouched. Another earlv rnorn-
ing bornbardrnent round the Doctor in his bath. He
left it hurriedlv and hastened, dripping and unclothed,
to the cellar, which he round already contained several
officers and the ladies of his billet. But this star in
Bienvillers is rnost rernernbered on account of a slight
fracas wbich occurred between Col. J.ones and a visiting
Arrny Sanitation Officer. A full account is given in
two entries in the \Var Dialw. The first, dated the
23rd July, savs sirnply--" Major T, Sanitation
Officer, IIIrd. Arrny, carne to look at billets. We
received hirn coldly-, and in consequence got a bad

MONCHY AU BOIS. 157

report, see later." The second entry, a week later,
is dated 30th July. " The Sanitary report referred to
carne and we replied. The report detailed rnany ways
in which we, as a Regirnent, vere living in dirt, and
rnaking no atternpt to follow comrnon-sense rules, or
to irnprove out state. It stated that we had been in
the village three days, and thus irnplied that there
could be no excuse. Out reply asserted that the in-
accuracv of the report rnade it worthless. That,
thougb the Regirnent had been there three days, the
Arrny, which the gallant Major T. represented and
worked for, had been in the village sorne rnonths.
That Major T.'s party had done nothilg to put or keep
the billets in order, to put up incinerators, or in any
wav to rnake s-uitable billets for soldiers resting frorn
trench dutv. [t suggested that Major T. had neglected
his dut.v, and thus was hot in a position to judge a
Regirnent."
Pommier was rnuch pleasanter, and was verv seldorn
shelled. Brigade Headquarters lived there, and, with
the aid of an energetic Mavor and out invaluable inter-
preter, 3I. Bonassieux, had done rnuch to irnprove the
billets. There were plenty of civilians who were good
to us, though, to quote the \Var Diary again, 26th
August, "A complaint was rnade bv the Maire that
certain of our officers were bathing in the open, and
that this was hot counted amongst the indecencies the
French permitted." At about the sarne rime, during
one of out test periods, we were inspected bv General
Thwaites--a full cerernonial inspectionl, the first of
rnany of these much dreaded ordeals. Again it is im-
possible tri improve on the accourir given by the çVar
Diarv. " At 2-30 we were drawn t,p in close colurnn in

158 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Ceremonial--Companies sized. \Ve received the new
G.O.C. with several sait, tes, the last was probably the
worst. The Battalion was then closely inspected, and
a few names taken for unsteadiness, dirty buttons,
badlv fitted packs, and the like. A slight confusion
between the terms packs and equipment led us to take
off equipment, and we then formed up as a Battalion
in Brigade. 'Ve sah, ted again, this rime we had no
bayonets, and then marched past bv Companes and
back in close column several rimes. Then, bv a
questionable, though hot questioned, :qanceuvre, we
came back again and advanced in review order. The
Brigade Band was in attendance and played the
Br,gade Match in place of the Regimental March,
because it did not know the latter. Vhile still in
Ceremonial order, we finished bx" doing Battalion drill,
under th.e general idea 'keep movin..' We kept
moving for two hours in ail, and it was universally
conceded that the men rrmved verv well. One or two
of the nexvly arrived officers were unequal to the occa-
sion. It was a good dav in the country, and, in the
senior officers, stirred up pleasant memories of old
peace time annual inspections." The exceeding tierce-
ness of the General on this Inspection had an amusing
sequel when, a week later, two of our soldiers xxere
repairing a road ot, tside the Brigade office. One re-
garded the other's work for a few minutes critically,
and then exclaimed fiercely, " Ver)" ragged, verv
ragged, do it again!" It is onlv fair to add, that,
terrible as was the ordeal of a Divisi:o.nal Inspection,
the General kept his original promise, and spent mare"
hours in the foremost trenches, " that he might know
us well."

MONÇHY AU BOIS. 159

The evening of this same inspection was one o[ the
few occas,ions on which Pommier wa,s bombarded. A
sudden two minutes' " hate " of about 40 shells, 4.2
and 5.9, wounded three men and killed both the C.O.'s
h<)rses, " Silvertail " and " Baby "; both came out
with the Battalion. \Ve still, however, had some good
animals left, as was obvious at the Brigade Sports
and Race meeting held on tbe l lth September at la
Baz(.que Farm. This was a most succcssful show, and
the onlv pity was that we were in trenchcs at the time,
and so could onlv send a limited number of ail ranks
to take part. The great event of the day was the
steeplechase. Tbe Staff Captain, Major J. E. Viccars,
on " Soilomon," led ail the way, but was bea,ten in
the last twentv yards by Major Newton, R.F.A.
Lieut. L. H. Pearson was third on " Sunlock II.," the
transport Serjeant's horse. It was a remarkable per-
formance, for he on.ly decided to ride at the last
moment, and neither he nor horse had trained at ail
The Battalion did well in other events, winning 1st
and nd places in both obstacle and mule faces, and
providing the best cooker and best pack p0.ny; the
two last were a great credit to the Transport Section.
One of the features of the day was the Bookes' G.S.
wag'on, where two oflïcers disg'uised with top bats,
yellow waistcoats and pyjamas, carried on a success-
fui business as "turf accountants." At a VIIth.
Corps meeting, held a fortnight later on the saine
course, we secured two places for the Battalion : Capt.
Burnett came home nd in an open steeplechase, and
Capt. Moore 3rd in one for Infantry oflïcers only.
During September out Mess, already up to strength,
was considerably increased bv a large draft of Oflïcers.

160 THE F1FTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

First we were glad to see Major (;riffiths back as
Second in Command, though sorry for Captain John
Burnett, who had t.o go back to Transport for the time.
With Major Griffiths came 2nd Lieuts. J. R. Brooke,
S. Corah, and \V. I. Nelson, while within the same
month, or shortlv afterwards, 2nd. Lieuts. L. A.
Nelsn, J. H. Ball, 1'. Ieasures, T. L. Boynton, V.
C. 'Valley, YV. Lambert, M. F. l'oynor, and J. A.
Wrtlev ail arrived. In October al,so Serjeant
Beardmore, M.M., of " C " Co,mpany, who had latterly
being doing exceptionally good work with the Bat-
talion Scouts, was given lais Comnaission in the Field,
and reposted as a platoon Commander to the old Com-
pany. Capt. Barton's place as M.O. was taken by
Caplain T. I). M.organ, of the 2nd Field Ambulance.
At the same time a stroke ,of bad luck robbed us of
2nd Lieut. Coles, who was badlv wounded. During a
raid of the tth Lincolnshires in October it vas out dutv
to cause a diversion bv blowing up some tubes of
ammonal in the Boche wire. The party, led by 2nd
Lieut. Coles, was abct to leave our trenches when
a rifle grenade or " pine apple " bomb dropped in their
midst and exploded one of the tubes, doing much
damage.
During these long months of trench warfare a
considerable advance was ruade in the work of the
Intelligence department of the Infantrv Battalion. A
year ag.o one officer did dutv for a whole Brigade,
now each Battalion had its Intelligence officer, its
scouts and observers, and its snipers, sometimes
the last under a separate officer. The duties of the
Intelligence section were manv. Thev must sec and
report every little thing which happened in the enemy's

MONCHY AU BOIS. 161

lines, no small detail must be omitted. The number
and colours o.f lais signal lights on different occasions,
the relative activity of lais different batteries and their
positions, the nmvement of his transport, the location
of his mortars and machine guns, the trench reliefs,
ail these must be watched. The immediate purpose
xxas of curse retaliation, counter battery work, the
making of otlr bombardments more effective by picking
out the tender spots in his lines, and generall.x
haras.sing the encmy; but there was a furthcr purpose.
It xvas particularly necessarv that the higher com-
mands stmuld be kept info.rmed of ail the big move-
ments of troops, the state of the enemv's discipline,
etc., and often some little incident seen in the front
line would give the clue to one of these. Lieut. L.
H. Pearson was at this time Intelligence officer,
helped by Serit. Beardmore, M.M., L/Cpl. \Vathey,
l'te. A. E. Gilbert, and others. There was of oeurse
also the humorous side to their ork, and many
amusing things were seen, or said to be seen, throalgh
the observers' tclescopes. The old white-haired Boche,
digging near Monchy, xvho looked so benign that no
one would shoct him, became quite a famous character,
until one dav lais real nattlre xxas revealed, for he shook
his fist at one of otlr low-flying aeroplanes, and
obviouslv uttered a string of curses, so one of the
snipers sl»ot him. Then again there was the lady of
Douchy, who coalld be seen each eveni.ng coming Otlt tO
bang up the washing; she was popularly known as
Mary, and figtlrcd in the reports nearlv everv dav.
\Vith the observers worked the snipers. After
nearly two years, telesco.pic sights at last appeared,
.and xve tried to train the once despised " Bisley shot."

l(J THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

They were very keen, and had much success, of which
thev were duly proud, as their individual reports
showed. " We watched for  of an hour until out
viggillance was rewarded bv seeing a Boche; he ex-
posed hall of himself above tbe parapet, I, Pte. ,
shot him," so said o.ne report, the naine has un-
fortunatelv been lost. Some snipers even kept a book
of their " kills," with entries such as " June 1st, 9-.30
a.m. Boche sentrv looldng over, shot in shoulder,
had grey hair alrnost bald very red face and no bat."
It was just the right spi,rit, and i¢ h.ad its results.
Autumn, 1915, saw us hardlv daring to look over the
top for fear of being sniped; Auturnn, 1916, saw us
masters, doing" just what we pleased, when we pleased.

CHAPTER IX.

GOMMECOURT AGAIN.

29th Oct., 1916. 15th April, 1917.
M.'NV Divisions were now taking part in the Somme
battle for the second time, and as we suddenly left
Pommier on the 29th October---our final destination
unknown--we naturallv thought it probable that we,
too, should soon be once more in the thick of the
fighoEing. However, our fears were groundless, and
we mowed due \Ves.t, not South. Our first night we
spent in Mondicourt, and then moved the next dav in
p0uring rain to Halloy, where we stayed two days. On
the 1st November we marched 14 toiles through
Do.ullens to Villers L'Hôpital, on the Auxi le Chateau
road, where we round out new Padre waiting for us,
the Rev. C. B. V. Buck. The march was good, and
no one fell out until the last hall mlle, a steep hill into
billets, which was too much for six men; as we had
done no real marching for several months, this was
very satisfactorv. There was onlv one incident of
interest on the way, a small collision between the
heavily laden mess cart and the level crossing gates
at Doullens, due to the anxiety of the ladv gate-keeper
to clo.se the gates and let the Paris express through,
a feat which she accomplishcd, despRe all the efforts
cf out Transport, which was consequently cut in hall.

IB'. THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

The folloxving dav it rained again, and we marched
to Conteville, staved a night, and went on to Millen-
court the next morning. Here we round good billets
and, as we were told we were likelv to remain a month,
fixed up a Battalion Mess in the Farm Chateau.
We were soo,n informed that we had hot corne to
Millencourt to test, but to carrv out " intensive train-
ing" to fit us for offensive action. This meant very
hard work ail the morning, manv afternocns, and two
or three n.ights a week as well. The idea was to devote
the first week to l'latoon and Cmpany work, the next
to Battalion drill and training, and to finish out course
with some big Brigade and I)ivisional davs. The
weather was hot very good, but we managed to do many
hours work, the usual physical training, bayonet fight-
ing, steadv drill, and extended order work, night
compass work and lectures. The most exciting event
was one of the niht trainin,*s when Col. Jo,nes com-
bined cross country runni.ng with keeping direction in
the dark. The running was verv successful, but the
runners failed to keep direction, and van for many
toiles, gettin. in many cases completely lost; far into
the night the plaintive notes of the recall bugle could
be heard in the various villages of the neighbourhood.
Soon after our arrival a Divisional Sports Committee
drew up a programme for a meeting to be held at the
end of out training, and to consist of football, boxing,
and cross country rtmning. Eliminating heats and
events had t,o be decided beforehand, and, with Lieut.
Heffill and Serjt. J. Vardle to look after the boxing,
and Capt. Shields as "O.C Football," we started
training without delav. At the football we had out
usual luck, for, after a good victorv over the 4th

GOMMECOI.'RT AGAIN. 1t35

Linc<)lnshires, we were «ace more beaten by out own
4th Battalion. The last gaine was very exciting, and
feeling tan so high that the language o.n the touch line
became terrible, and would bave shocked even a
Brigadier. The finals of the boxin.g and cross country
running could not take place until later when we had
left the area. On one or two ,f the spare afternoons
we managed to get some Rugby football, and had
some excellent gaines, during which we di.covered that
our l'adre was a performcr of considerable merit.
On the "22nd November we started back Eastwards,
and, after a night at l'rouville and two at Fortel,
arrived in the pouring tain at Halloy, where we were
told we should stay for about a week. "Ve were put
into the buts, which were unfirfished and entirely unfit
for habitation, while to make matters worse, the field
in which thev stood had bec.orne a sea of mud. After
the good billets of blillencourt, this change for the
worse produced the inevitable sickness, and, in addition
to manv N.C.O.'s and men wbao went away with lever
and influenza, we lost for a short time Col. Jones, and
several of the officers. Amongst them was 2nd Lieut.
J. R. Brooke, who had long ago been warned against
the danger of again getting nephritis, but in spite of
*his refused to star awav from the Battalion, and
sisted on braving even the worst weather and the
wettest trenches. About the same rime, Captain
Burnett went to England, going to Hospital from the
Armv School.
The week in these horrible surroundings was
lengthened to a fortnight, and we were at last able
to hold the finals of the cross countr run. Manv of
the Battalion entered, and over two hundred came

166 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

t»ome in the time, a verv good performance, though
hot good enough to win. The boxing "ournament was
held still later at St. Amand, and we sent two entries.
In the heavy weights, Boobver was beaten on points
after a plucky fight, and in the feather weights,
O'Shaugncssy knocked his opponent all over the place,
and wc)n in the seco.nd round.
On the 6th I)ecember we marched to the Souastre
buts, where the Colonel returned to us, and we once
more began to feel fit; the buts here xxere hot palaces,
but were far better than those we had left at Halloy.
On the llth we moved up through Bienvillers and went
into our ld trenches opposite Monchv. But the recent
heavy rains had undoae all the good that we had done
in the earlv autumn, and thcy were now in a very
bad state. On the right of the H-annescamps road
thev were particularly bad, and Liverpool Street, which
ran from Lulu Lane to the front line, was almost
impassable. There was the saine terrible cliaging
mud, feet dccp, that xve had round at Richebourg a
year before, and the old troubles of lost gum boots
began again. Fortunately we were now prepared, and
were able to co.mbat the dangers of " trench foot."
Each Company had its dr.ving room--a dug-out occu-
pied by the Stretcher bearers, and kept warm by an
ever burning brazier. Here at least once in every 24
hc)urs eve.rv man who could possibly have got wet
feet, and everv man wearing rubber boots, came, had
his feet rubbed, and was given dry socks and boots,
while at Headquarters and in Bienvillers were larffe
drying rooms where the wet boots could be dealt with.
In this wav we were able to keep almost free from the
compla.lnt, and the fexv men whose feet did rail were

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 167

ail men who had had " trench feet" the previous
vinter, and were o,nsequently alvays liable to it.
Ail this time it was hot only wet, but cold, and after
Christmas it became colder until the first week in
January, when heavy ShOW fell. Thenceforward, until
the middle of Februaç', there vas co.ntinuous frost vith
occasional heavv falls of SHOW, thcrugh generally the
davs and nights were fine and clear. For several feet
down, the ground was frozen hard, and digging became
absolutelv impossible. There was nov solid ice instead
of water in the trenches, and the front line sentries
found their task a partizuarly cold o.ne. Fortunately
bv this time the trench cook-house was hot only an
established thing but had become a very successful
affair, and four rimes a day hot meals were carried in
tanks and food containers from Battalion Headquarters
to the front line. For this purpose the rectangular
tanks from the cooks' wagons were used, being carried
bv two men, on a wooden framework or stretcher.
Along a ri)ad or up a well ruade c.ommunication trench
this was a comparatively light task, but to carrv a tank
full of hot tea over slippery shell holes and through
knee-deep mud was a difficult matter, and on more than
one occasion a platoon lost its h drink at night
through the disappearance of the carriers into some
shell hole. The wonderful thing was that both tea-less
plat,oon and drenched ca.rriers would laugh over it all.
Christmas Dav was spent in trenches. \\re were
relieved in the afternoo.n bv the 4th Battation, who had
their festivities on Christmas eve, and went back to
Souastre, where the f, ollowing dav we, to.o, had out
dinner. Pigs had becn bought and killed, and we ail
gcrged urselves on toast pork and plum pudding,

168 THE F1FTH LE1CE.qTERSH1RE.

washing them down with beer--a verv satisfactory
performance There were also the usual gaines and
Company dinners, and we ail spent a very enjoyable
few davs. Later on we managed to arrange a Battalion
concert which was a tremea3dous success, and voted by
all a m,o,st excellen,t evening; the " sta.r" turn was
Colone'l Jones, who gave a recitatio,n.
Th,e xeather made raids and active operations im-
possible, and thou.h we ruade all preparations for a
rifle grenade demonstration to assist a Staffcrdshire
raid on New 'ear's night, this had to be cancelled on
account of the snow. Patrols, however, still continued
to tour No Man's Land in the hopes of finding a stray
Boche, or eaacoun'tering a Boche patro,l. In from of
Essarts the lines were so far apart that there was
plenty of room for a small pitched battle, and night
after night Lieuts. Pearso,n, Creed, Po.vnor, and others
visled such familiar haunts as the "Osier Bed,"
" Thistle Patch," " Lonelv Tree,'" and other well-
'known places. The first to meet the enemv was Lieut.
l'earson, who came upon a small party in the " Thistle
Patch," who ruade ,off rapidly back to their lines. Our
patrol used their rifles, but, though thev hit one of the
enemy, failed to take a priSoner, and for a week or two
the Boche did not shoxv himself. Then o,n the 10th
January, 2nd Lieut. Creed, vith a mixed party of scouts
from all Companies, whi.le reconnoiteri,ng the " Osier
Bed " suddenlv found that a party o.f the enemv was in
their right rear and close to our wlre, where four of
them could be seen. Our patrol turned at o,nce and ran
straight at the four as fast as thev could, coming, as
they ran, under a heavv tire from a Boche covering
party lying so,me 50 vards out. Pte. A. Garner was

GOM MECO['RT AGAIN. 169

killed outright, but the remainder, led by "2nd Lieut.
Creed and l'te. Frank Êastwood of "C " Company,
rushed on and wounded and captured o,ne of the four,
who was round to be the officer. The remainder of the
enemy took the alarm in time and ruade off. The officer
proved t.o be an English-speaking subalern of the 55th
Regt.--our old opponents of Hohenzollern in October,
1915. He was led down to the Aid l'osl to have his
wound dressed, much to the disgust of Captain Tcrry,
the M.O., who would bave liked to bave killed him
outright, though Serjeant Bent, the medical orderly,
took compassion on his shivering prisoner and fed him
on hot tea, and actually gave him a f¢)ot warmer!
This little affair caused the Boche extreme annoyance,
and the following dav he spent the morning shooting
at Berlin Trench, the Bienvillers road and Bienvillers
itself, round the Church. As xxe were relieved during
the morning we had to match out through it ail, and
fiound it particularly unpleasant, especially xhen a shell
hit the R.E. l)ump, exploded an ammuni*ion store, and
sent the house at the Church corner several hundred
feet into the air.
At this time there were again several changes in the
personnel. Çapt. G. \\'. Allen wen.t to Brigade Head-
quarters and thence to the Crps School as an In-
structor; Çapt. J. D. Hills, who took his place, fell
do'wn and injured his knee so badly that it took him
to England for six months: Çapt. Knightou was ruade
Town Major at St. Amand, and Çaptain Mould went
to En.land. Çapt. "Vollaston rejoined us, bringing
with him 2nd Lieut. Banwell and a new subaltern, nd
Lieut. D. Campbell. Snd Lieut. C. H. Morris acted
as Adjurant. 2nd Lieut. J. R. Brooke paid one of his

170 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

periodical visits to the R.A.M.C., driven thither by
the M.O., who was afraid he would die on his hands,
but returned to us again soon afterwards.
During the last fortnight of January we had several
Units of the 58th (London) Division attached to us for
instruction. They vere one of the first " second-line "
Territ,oeial Divisions to reach France, and were folloxved
bv our own second-line, the 59th, who went for their
initiatin to the most So.uthern" end of the British front,
and xve consequently did not see them. Nothing of
anv ne happened during their stay, except a heavy
gas shell bombardment on "D " Company's (Capt.
Sh,ields') treaqches. The men were ail warned in time and
put on helmets, so that we had no casualties. The
shells were almost noiseless, so that when the gas blew
over the crest into "B " Company (Capt. V'ollaston),
who were in support, it vas tho,ught to be cloud gas
and the Strombos horns were sounded. The flank
Units sounded theirs, too, and Bienvillers took it up,
much to the annovance of the batteries and staffs who
were thus unnecessarilv disturbed, since the Strombos
should never be used for gas shells onlv. It was a
verv natural mistake, but we were severelv " strafed '"
bv the authorities; however, as we had ro easualties,
and there had been manv in other Units, we ended by
being congratulated.
On the 14th Februarv came the beginnings of the
thaw, and with it the first rumours of a German with-
drawal. Three davs later the enemv shelled Foncque-
villers heavil_v, apparently with a view to a raid, or
possibly to deceive us into thinking that he did not
mean to re,tire. Our guns replied, and the Right Hall
Battalion under M,aio,r Griffiths, who vas already

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 171

quartered in the village, stood to, but n.othing happened.
The remainder of the Battali.on xvith the Headquarters
was now in Bienvillers in Brigade reserve. The weather
once more became frosty, and there ,,vas a thick mist
almost every day. On the 23rd we relieved the 4th
Battalion, and occupied some 2,500 yards of fro.rit line
opposite Gommecourt, where the Huns shelled us at
intervals ail the next day, but did no damage. At
midnight 24th/Sth the Brigadier had reason to believe
the Boche was going to leave his lines, and a strong
patrol under Maj,o.r Grifliths went out to reconnoitre.
They eut many gaps in the wire, but found the German
front line still held. At dawn it was very foggy, and
there was some shouting heard in Gommecourt, which
sounded like " Bonsoir," but at 7-10 a.m. the enemv
opened a heavy bombardment which lasted 3½ hours.
Shells of every kind were fired and out trenches hit
in several places; on.e man was killed. The next night
patrols were again out and, though it xvas round that
the Boche had evacuated Gommecourt Park, he was
still in the village, where the following morning dug-
outs were seen to be on tire. "Vire was cut and
everything prepared for the advance.
Ho.wever, the Boche still hung on to his line, and on
the evening of the -°6th and at dawn the following
morning out patrols still round him there. _°nd Lieuts.
Banwell and Beardmore and Serjt. Growdridge were
constantly out, waiting for a chance to enter his lines,
but the chance never came, and, on the _°7th, we vere
relieved by the 4th Battalion, and returned to Souastre.
That evening the Boche retired, and the 4th Battalion
entered Gommecourt. At this point we lost Captain
J. .V. Tomson, who had been far fro.m well for some

17'2- THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

time, and now went to Egland with fever. He had
never missed a day's work for two years. Lieut. D.
B. Petch took lais place in command of " A " Company.
The German withdrawal was very slov, and we
spent the next day having baths in Souastre. On the
1st March we moved into the new front line, round
the East edge of G,mmecourt, while the Boche was
still lmlding Pigeon \Vood. The enemy was very
alert, as General H. RI. Campbell, the C.R.A., dis-
covered ; he went into the wood, thinking- it unoccupied,
and was chased out by a fat Boche thmwing " potato
mashers." In the evening the Hcadquarters moved
in,o a German dug-out, but the enemy still occupied
the " Z." The fronl line between there and Gomme-
court was filled with decp dug-outs, ail connected
underground, so the Boche occupied one end, while
2nd Lieuts. Banwe.ll and Barrett sat in the ocher, of
the saine tunnel. There were many booby traps, such
as loose boards exploding a bomb when trodden on;
trip wires at the bottom of dug-out steps bringing
down the roof, and o.ther such infernal machines. Ve
were warned of these, and had no casualties.
On the 2nd March we continued to press the enemy,
having as our objective a circle 900 yards round
Gommecourt Cburch. 2nd Lieut. Corah was slightly
wounded by a sniper, and o.ne or tvo men were hit with
splinters o.f bomb, but there were no serious casualties.
Out bombing parties were very vigorous, and in one
case c.o«asumed the hot coffee and oni,3.ns left by a party
disturbed at breakfas,t. In this bombing work,
Serjeants A. l'assmo.re, Cave and Meakin, Cpl.
Marshall, and L/Cpls. Dawes and A. Carr all dis-
tlnguished themselves. Gommecourt wood was soon

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 173

cleared, and bv the evening we had gained the x»hole
of the circular objective. The next morning early the
8th Sherwood Foresters came up to relieve us, but,
though the other Companies were relieved, " A " Com-
pany (Petch) refused to be. They were busv chasing
the Boche, and were quite annoyed when told that thev
must corne awav. Relieved, we marched back to
Souastre.
We staved at Souastre until the llth March, and
then moved up once more to the line, taking over 2,600
vards of fro.ntage from the la Bravelle Road to the
Hannescamps-Monchy Road. Out rime in reserve had
been spent almost entirelv in lectures on the attack,
aud on lessons drawn from the enemv's recent with-
drawal from Gommecourt, and we had more than once
been congratulated on out patrol work, which was
excellent throughout this time. Between Essarts and
Monchv the Boche was still holding his original line,
and though expected 1o, retire at anv rime, he ruade
no movement during the three davs we staved in the
line. On the lath we were ordered, during the after-
noon, to make certain that the enemv were still present,
so nd Lieut. T. H. Ball marched up the Essarts Road
with two platoons, until tire was opened on them from
more than o,ne direction, and the strength o,f the enemy
was apparent. That evening we were relieved bv the
Lothian and Border Horse, and marched on relief to
Foncquevillers. The same night, just before midnight,
the Staffordshires made an attack on Bucquoy Graben,
a stro.ng B.oche trench, and the outskirts of Bucquoy
village. It was verv wet and dark, and the operation
altogether most ditcult, so that the Staffordshlres,
though they made a verv gallant attack, lost heavily
and galned little ground.

17 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

At dawn the following morning, 14th Match, we were
ordered to be readv to go and support the Stafford-
shires, but, after onsidcrable uncertainty and waiting,
this order vas cancclled. Instead, a flagged plan of
the Bucquoy trenches was ruade on the plain N.'V.
of our village, and hcre we practised the attack. The
weather was bad, but we managed to make all the
necessarv arrangements and do some attack drill. In
the village we had a singular s,troke of ill luck. One
solitary German Howitzer shell dropped amonKst a
party of ' D " Company, killing Pte. J. T. Allen, who
had donc good work in the bombinKat Gommecourt,
and wounding six othcrs, onc of whom, ,V. Clarke,
died of wounds aftcrwards. The practised attack,
which should bave taken place from Biez "Vod on the
16th, never came off, for it xvas ruade unnecessarv bv
the rapidity of the German rctirement.
After this the weather irnproved, and it was bright
and warm when, on the 17th, we moved during the
afternoon into Gommecourt and came temporarily
under orders of the 139th Brigade. The following day
we moved again, this rime to dug-outs and fields 500
yards North of Essarts, country which the enemy had
now entirely evacuated. The villages and farms had
ail been very badlv battered bv out Artillery, and the
Boche had round time t.o destroy almost every'thing
belote he went, except at Douchy-, where there was
some go0d dug-out tituber. Needless to sa_v, the
famous Marv of that village was hot to be round. The
French were immenselv pleased at regaining part of
their lost territory, though it was a pathetic sight to
see some of the old people coming to look at the plies
of bricks which had once been their bornes. Two ladies

GOMMECOURT AGAIN. 175

came to Gommecourt with a key, Iittle thinking that so
far from finding a lock they would find not even a door
or doo.r-way--there was not even a brick walI more
than two feet high. Those officers who could get
horses rode round to look at the country which for
nine months we had been watching through telescopes,
and thê concrete emplacements of Monchy and le
Quesn,oy Farm wcre ail explored, while No Man's
Land, the onlv place free from wire and shelI holes,
provided an excellent canter. The Companies were
largely employcd in road mending, filling up German
mine craters, and making tracks across the trenches
for our ArtilIery. The enemy seemed to bê realIy on
the move a.t Iast, and we were ail Iooking forward to
seeing s.ome new country, but on the 20th the weather
broke, there was another falI of snoxv, and we were
hot sorry to be ordered back to Souastre, where we
went into the huts for two nights.
For the rest of March we were constantly on the
rnove, mostlv by march route. First, on the 22nd, we
rnarched via Co.uin and Bus-les-Artois to Bertrancourt,
where we round some huts and much mud. One very
large " Nissen " hut provided an Officers' Mess, but
was completely devoid of alI furniture until the Colonel
invented some wonderful hanging tables--table tops
hung frm the ceiling on telephone wires. Here we
were ioined by 2nd Lieuts. C. C. Craggs, S. R. Mec,
and B. G. Bligh, alI new-comers. 2nd Lieuts. R. C.
Broughton and A. Ramsden had ioined a week or two
before, so we now had our fulI complement of Platoon
Comman.ders. Soon afterwards, however, 2nd Lieut.
and A/Adjt. C. H. Morris went to the Indian Army,
and his place was taken by Lieut. L. H. Pearson. In

176 THE FIFTH LEICESTERNH[RE.

Bertrancourt we found some German prisoners work-
ing, one of whom obviously received the la,test news
from Lond,o.n quicker than we did, for he told us that
as the result of an air raid " London was in bits "'!
After one night here we marched via Acheux, Leal-
villers and Arquèves to Raincheval, where we again
staved one night--a hard frost. The next dav we
moved on again, passing through |'uchevillers,
Rubempr and Pierregot to Rainnevillers. The match
vas ruade particularly uncomfortable by the number
of different Units on the road, marching in ail direc-
tions, and we had to keep big intervals between
Companies.
Rainnevillers was only six kilometres from Amiens,
and many officers availed themselves of this opportunity
of visiti.ng the tovn. The mvsteries of Charlie's Bar,
Godbert's, the Café du Cathédral, and other haunts were
revealed for the first time, and proved so attractive that
two senior oflicers ruade a very vet night the excuse
for staying in a Hotel. They returned at dawn, but
did not remise l-tow earlv the Colonel rose, and met him
at the breakfast table, to be congratulated on their
(most unusual) earliness! We stayed here two days,
and the G.O.C. came and presented medal ribbons to
those u ho had been awarded decorations at Gomme-
court. On the 26th March we " embussed " with the
4th Leicestershires, and vere taken through Amiens
to Dur)', whence we marched a sh.e,rt distance to St.
Fuscien, and went into billets. We were still near
enough to Amiens for those who wished to " joy ride "
into the ton.
Two days later, on the 28th March, ve marched to
Saleux and entrained for the North. Passing through

GOMMECOL'RT AGAIN. 1'77

Doullens we arrived at Lillers earlv the next morning,
and marched thence to Laires, twelve mlles through the
driving tain. \Ve reached billets ail wet through.
"B " Company followed by a later train, and joined
us in billets just after midnight.
\Ve were nmv in the 2nd Corps, and, before xve had
time to look round our new billets, the Corps Com-
mander, General Jacob, came and was imroduced to ail
oXcers, speaking to tlS in the village school room.
After tbat we looked round our new quarters and found
them excellent, s.o, settled down to have, if possible,
an enjo.vable rest. Marie, of the " Cheval Blanc,"
provided a room where officers might meet and drink
beer, subalterns, of course, champagne, and her name
must be added to the long list of Tina's, Bertha's, and
others who ail over France welcomed the British officer
so cordiallv at tbeir estaminets, llealm'hile, we spent
out davs training, and particular attention xvas paid to
route marching, in whicb we were severely handicapped
bv the bad state of our boots. For some reason there
was at the rime a shortage of lea, ther, so Serjeant
Hnddleston, <)'ur shoemaker, c.ould do nothing to
improve matters, and we had to make the best of a
bad job. It vas reallv remarkable on some of the
longer marches how few men fell out considering that
manv bad practically no soles to their bo0,ts. However,
the pleasant billets at Laite amply repaid us for out
other troubles, and we vere ail sor W xhen on the 13th
April, 2nd Lieut. Brooke and the rest of us bade fare-
well to Marie and marched to blanqueville.
Here we continued training so far as the weather
a.llowed, but a considerable amcmn.t of tain rather
hampered us. On the 15th we lost Colonel Jones who

"!78 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

went to England for three months' rest. Wi.th the
exception of a fev weeks in 1915 he had been with us
si.nec the beginning, and there vas,noE an officer or man
wbo did not regret his going. There was never a
trench or post which he did not visit, no matter how
exposed o.r how dangerous the approach to it. More-
over, he was never do,wnhearted, and while he was in
it, the Battalion Headquarters of the 5th Leicestershire
Reiment was known throughout the Division as one of
the mo,st cheerful, if not the mo.st cheerful, spo.t in
France. Major Griffiths took tempo,rary command
until, on the 23rd, Major Trimble, M.C., of the E.
Yorks. Regt. arrived from the 6th Division and took
over from him.

CHAPTER X.

LENS.

16th April, 1917. 10t,h June, 1917.
ON the 16th of April we learnt that we were once more
to go to trenches, and the saine day we moved to
Annezin, just outside Béthune. The march will always
be remembered on account of the tremendous energy
displa.ved bv Captain Shields, who was acting second
in command. Just before the start he insisted o,n the
reduction of all ofiïcers' kits to their authorised weight,
thereb.v causing much cons.ternation amongst those
wh.ose trench kits included gra, mophones, field boots,
and other such articles of modern warfare. However,
on arrival at Annezln ail such worries were dispersed by
the radiant smiles of the ladies at the C.O.'s billet,
with whom ail the Subaltern Ofiïcers, and one or two
Captains at once fell in love.
Two days later Major Grifiïths and s,o.me of the
Company Ofiïcers went to reconno.itre the area round
Bull), Grenay and the western outskirts of Lens, which
we were told would be our new area. The capture of
Vimv bv the Çanadians a few davs before, had ruade
an advance on Lens more po,ssible than it had ever been
before, and there were manv who thought that the
Boche would be compelled to evacuate the town. But
the Germans had not vet any intention of doing this.

180 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Thcugh the Vimy heigbts were lo.st to them, they still
held "Hill 70" on the North side, and due \Vest o.f Lens,
n.ear the Souchez river, Fosse 3 and " Hill 65 " were
naturallv stro.ng positions. South of this again, and
just the o.ther side of the river, was ano,ther small rise,
on which sto,od an electric generating station, another
commanding position held by the enemy. Our line ran
through the bouses of Liévin, acro.ss the Lens road,
round tbe Eastern edge of Cité St. Pierre, and through
Cité St. Edouard to the slopes f " Hill î0."
The whole neighbo,urhood was covered with coal
mines. Each had its machine buildings, its slag heap,
and its ro,xvs of miners' cottages, called " Co,rons," ail
in perfectly straigbt lines. The mine co.mplete was
known as a " Cité," and a Cité in the case of a large
mine, covered a considerable tract of country, and had
several hundred co.ttages. As the mines increased in
number or grew in size, these Cités became mo-re and
more numerous, until when war began tbe country was
fast becoming one large to,wn. The trenches tan from
cellar to cellar, through houses, along ro.adsides, were
very irregular, and mostlv short, unconnected and
isolated lenths. Streets were the onlv means of com-
munication, and these eould hot be used except at
night. \Ve were at a great disadvantage in this area.
The Boche had but lately occupied the line we were
now holding; he knew its whereabouts exactly, knexx"
every corner of it, and onld observe it from his heights
on both flanks. "Ve on the other ha.nd never quite
knew where the toche was living, had no observation
of his front line, and were consequen.tly unable to
retaliate as effectivelv as xve should bave wished to his
trench mortars.

LENS. 181

On the 1.qth of April Lt. Col. J. B. O. Trimble, M.C.,
arrived and took cornrnand, and the sarne night we
marched through Béthune and Noeux les Mines to the
" Double Crassier "-- a long double slag heap near
Loos-- where we lived for two davs in cellars and
dug-outs, in Brigade Reselwe. The dav after we
arrived an atternpt was rnade bv the [)ivision on out
left to capture " Hill 70." It failed, and during the
enernv's retaliatory bombardrnent out positions ere
heavilv shelled, and rive men wounded. T]-le next night
we rn,oved back to Maroc and Bullv Grenay, where we
staved until the 23rd, whcn we relieved the 4th
Battalion in the front line.
Our new sector was one of the worst we ever heId.
The front line, "A " Company (Petch), consisted of
"' Cooper Trench "--an exposed salient in front of Cité
St. Pierre, overl.ooked and shelled frorn everv direction
and absolutelv unapproacbable during daylight, except
for those who were willing to crawl. " B " and " C "
Cornpanies (\Vynne and Mo.ore)were behind in cellars,
and " I)" (Shields) and Battalion Headquarters still
further back in the Cité. On the left could be seen the
low slag heap and railwav line of St. Pierre coal mine,
held by out 1st Battalion, under which the 6th Division
a few davs previously had lost an entire platoon buried
in a collapsed duE-out.
The tour lasted six da_vs, and at the end o.f the second
"' D " Company relieved " A " in Cooper trench. It
was originally intended to relieve "D " in the sarne
xvav two nights later, but this was impossible, because
we had to take over a new sector of line on the right,
where "B " Cornpany now relieved the 4th Lincoln-
shires, astride the Cté St. Edouard road. The new

182 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

sector as hot so exposed to. viev, and consequently to
shelling as Cooper trench, but had other disadvantages,
chier among which was its peculiar shape. A sharp
pointed salient tan out along the Cité St. Edouard road,
while S,outh of this the line bent back to the right until
it reached the outskirts of St. Pierre.
The shelling was very hot throughout the tour, and,
at night particularly, there was plenty of machine-gun
tire up the streets, which ruade ration carrying a
dangerous job. " I)" Company suffered most in
casualties, nearlv ail of which were caused by shell tire
on Cooper Trench, where they were unlucky in losing,
in addition to some twenty others, Serjeants \Villiams,
Queenb.orough and G.oode, ail of wh.om were vounded.
The other Companies had some ten casualties between
them.
Ail this time the enemy were incllned to be nervous
after out attack on " Hill 70," and almost every day
the eolumns of smoke in Lens showed us where he xvas
burning houses and stores in case he should be forced
to retire. His Infantry remained comparatively inactive
in the front line, and when one night '2nd Lieut. Banwell
and his platoon of "C " Company raided Cité St.
Edouard Church thev round n,o enemv there.
One hum.orous episode is handed down concerning
this otherwise rather grim tour. Battalion Head-
quarters lived in a ver 3" small cellar--mess and office
belmv, clerks and signallers and rurners on the stairs.
The Boche, the previous occupants, had left a
suspicious 1.ooking red and black object on one end of
the table which we used for meals and xvork. This
took up a large part of out very scanty room, so an
R.E. Specialist was called in to examine it. He

LENS. 183

examined the object, at once condemned the cellar as
dangerous, and advised our immediate departure.
Cellars were hard to find, we ecmsulted another
specialist. His actions are best described in the words
of one of those present: " He (R.E.) clears dug-out,
or rather dug-out clears itself, and ties string gingerly
to object; the string he leads upstairs and along a
trench to what he considers is a safe distance. \Vhen
ail is readv the string is pulled. Ncthing happens.
Suspense--a l,ong pause--two hours--several drinks--
R.E. proceeds to examine result lying on floor--an
improvised lantern used for photography
On the 29th, after a big gas bombardment against
the enemv's positions in Cité St. Edonard and St.
Theodore, we were relieved bv the 4th Battalion, and
went into the St. Pierre cellars--in Brigade support.
The whole place was under direct observation, and
movement by dav was impossible, hich made our
existence verv nnpleasant. It was while here that we
began to realize what a magnificent man was Padre
Buck. Nothing worried him, and even Cooper trench
formed part of his parish, to be visited each night. In
St. Pierre he held a service everv evening in one of
the cellars, undeterred although on one occasion a shell
burst in the doorway, scattering its bits inside, but
doing no damage.
On the 3rd o.f May we again relieved the tth Battalio.n
and stayed for three days in the Co,oper trench sector.
'Ve had a quieter time than bef.crre, and onlv lost one
killed and nine wounded during the tour. Amongst
the latter were L/Cl. \Vaterfield and " Pat " Collins
the runner, who were both hit bv a shell, which burst
on the orderlv room. Our chief difficultv was the xvater

18 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

supply. ,Vith the hot weather the demand for water
increased, and it ail had tobe brought to the line in
petrol cans. F,o, rtunatcl.v the limbers could corne as
far as Bttali,oa Headquarters, and cans had to be
carried forward from there onlv; even this took many
men, and out numbers vere by no means large.
At the end of this tour, the Brigade went into
Divisional reserve, and we, relieved bv the Sherwood
F.oresters, vent back to Fosse 10, near Petit Sains.
Here we staved for six days training, playing gaines,
and, bv way of work, wiring a new line of defence.
l)uring this time we lost several officers. Capt.
\Vollaston and Lieut. H. E. Chapman went to
Hospital, Lieut. Petch, 2nd Lieuts Clav and Bligh had
already gone, and 2nd Lieut. Hepworth left a few days
later to join the Indi, an Armv. Captain Shields went
on leave and "D " Gompany was commanded by
Captain John Burnett, who, on his return from England,
had been sent to the 4th Battalion, but so.on worked his
wav back to us.
It was nmv out turn to go to the right Brigade sector,
previously held bv the Staffordshires, and on the 12th
May we marched up to Red Mill, between Angres and
Liévin. It was a disastrous match, for we were
heavilv shelled, and lost L/Cpl. Startin and l'te. Norton
killed, and three L/Cpls., Ellis, Ric, ha-rdso.n and Roper,
wounded--four of these were " No. 1 " Lewis Gunners.
Once at Red Mill all was well, and for the next two
davs we had an enjoyable time. The Mill proved to be
a large red-brick Chateau, now sadlv knocked about,
on the banks of the Souchez river. The weather was
bright and warm, so a data was built, and we soon had
an excellent bathing pool, much patronized bv all ranks.

LENS. 185

2nd Lieut. J. C. Barrett was the star performer, and
never left the water, so that those who laad nothing
better to do used to " go and sec the Signailing Officer
swim "--it was one o,f the recognised recreations of the
place.
At night we provided carç'ing and wiring parties,
ail of which had to go through Liévin, a bad place for
shells. The Church stood at a particularly hot corner,
and here, on the l lth, 2nd Lieut. T. P. Creed, M.C.,
xvas wounded in the head and foot and had to be sent
to England, a great loss to " 1) " Company. Vv'e had
two killed and nine wounded about the same time, and
lost amo'ngst the wounded one of out old soldiers,
O'Shaugnessy, the boxer.
On the 15th Mav we relieved out 4th Battalion in the
right sub-sector, staying there for ten cays, with a three
davs' holidav at Red Mill in the middle. \Ve were
very weak, and out strength in trenches vas barelv 450,
for in addition to casualties we had to send manv away
on leave or to courses. Out new sector lav between
the Soucbez river and the Lens-Liévin road, while
across the river vere the Canadians. Opposite them
and out right flank, was the ridge with the generating
station, opposite out centre Fosse 3 and " Hill 65."
Fosse 3 h.ad a large group of mine buildings standing
on a slag heap, which ran Southwards from " Hill
65," ending above tbe river with a thirty foot slope.
The Western face vas the saine height, and at its foot
on out side was a large lake. The Corons vere on
the slopes of the Hill and round its base on the Western
side. Tho.se at the bottom we held, but the enemv had
those on the slopes, and one building in particular, the
" L-shaped house," was verv stongly fortified. The

186 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

right Compan.v had its outposts in the cellars and shell-
holes round the N. and "V. edges of the 1.ake, the centre
and left companies had cellars and trenches, through
the Cités de Riaumon.t and du Bois de Liévin, down to
the main Lens road. Left Company Headquarters had
a beautiful chateau, with a fruit and asparagus garden,
krrcwn after its first occupant as " John Burnett's
Chateau." There xvere two communication trenches,
one each side of the Riaumont Hill : " Assign " on the
South, shallow and unsafe in daylight, and " Absalom "
on the North. " Hill 65 " dominated everything, and
gave the Boche a tremendous advantage. ,Ve had the
Riaumo.nt hill, 500 vards \Vest of out front line, and
could use the Bois de Riaumont on its summit as an
O.P., but this was always being shelJed, and though
the view was excellent, one was seldom left in peace
long enough to enjoy it. Battalion Headquarters had a
strong German concrete dug-out in Liévin, said to have
been f.ormerlv occupied by Prince Ruprecht of Bavaria.
The enemy confined his activi.tv to his artillery, which
hammered out back areas, and his trench mortars,
which constantly bombarded our outposts. A row of
h.ouses along an abso.lutely straight street forms a com-
paratively easv target, and a cellar is no protection
against a 2401bs. Minemverfer shell. On one occasion
,the enemy, starting atone end, dropped a shell on
every house in turn down one side, smashing each
cellar; it was a nerve-racking performance for those
who lived in one of the cellars and had to watch the
shells coming nearer, knowing that to go into the street
meant instant death at the hands of sme sniper. The
headquarters of No. 15 Platoon had a direct hit, but
fortunatelv nd Lieuts. Brooke and Ramsden were

LENS. 187

botb out crawling about somewhere, and the only
damage was to their dinner. Everv m.ortar, whose
position was known, was given a naine and marked on
. a map, so as to simplify quick retaliation. Captain
Burnett spent much time at the telephone demanding
the slaughter of " Bear," " Bat," " Pharoah,"
" Philis," " Philistine, .... Moses," " Aaron," etc. etc.
It was impossible to visit any of the outpost line by
day, and those from Battalion Headquarters who
v«anted to do so had perforce 10 go at night. Nights
were dark; the ground was covered with she11-holes,
some of them of great size. Once Maior Griffiths,
going out with Grogan, his runner, suddenly dis-
appeared from view in an erormous hole which had
apparently amalgamated itself wi¢ah some well or sewer.
The Major xvas almost drowned, but came to the
surface in time to hear Grogan sav: " You haven't
fallen in, bave you, sir?" He was fished out and
scraped down and went on his way to " Jehn Burnett's
Chateau," where he was given warmth and comfort,
and whence he eventually returned to Liévinmtaking
care to rob the asparagus bed before leavlng.
Towards the end of the tour the enemy attempted a
small raid against out somewhat isolated right post,
but was easily driven off by out Lewis guns, and ruade
no other attempts. On the 25th of May the Sherwood
Foresters took out place, and we marched out to
Marqueffles Farm. The tour had oest us twentv-four
casualties, three of whom were killed; we had some
narrow escapes in the cellars, and were fortunate hot
to 10,se more. " D " Company had had a partic-ularly
bad time, and owe much to Serieant Burbidge, who
seemed in his element in the midst of terrific explosions

188 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSH1RE.

and rocking cellars, and saved many casualties bv his
calmness.
Marqueffies Farm stands next to lIarqueffies oo,al
mine, at the foot of the Northern slopes o¢ the Lorette
ridge. The Companies were all billeted in the farm,
and the officers in tents outside, while a home-ruade
marquee formed an excellent mess. After out first
difficulty, which was to find the place at all in the utter
darkness of relief night, we spent a ver 3" happ_v twelve
davs in beautiful weather. After coal mines and
squalid narroxv streets, the xx:oods of Lorette, the little
village of Bouvigny, and the open country xvere delight-
ful, for the scenerv to the south was all verv pleasing.
Gaines of ail descriptions were out programme for the
first two days, while our chier amusement was to watch
the enemv's attempts to hit the observation balloon
above us. His shells, fitted with clockwork fuzes,
burst verv high, and were quite harmless.
But out star in Marqueffles was hOt merelv a rest,
we xvere there to practice for an attack to be ruade
sortlv on Fosse 3. A plan of the Fosse and its
trenches was marked out, and each dax" the assaulting
Companies, " B " and " C," practiced their attack over
it, until each man knew his task exactlv. In addition
to this "C" Company were able to scale the Marquefiïes
slag-heap, and so prepare themselves for Fosse 3,
whose :30 feet they would have to climb in the battle.
{;eneral Kemp had had to go to Hospital xvith a
poisoned foot and Colonel Thorpe, the Divisional Staff
Officer, who to)k his place, came often to watch out
practice, making on the last occasion a ver 5- encoura-
ging, if somewhat bloodthirsty speech. Through it ail
we enjoyed .ourselves immenselv. For a change

LENS. 189

canteen stores were plentiful, and a generous supply of
cigarettes, beer, and other luxuries, did much to raise
out spirits. The oFficers, too, had many pleasant
evenings, and, on more than one occasion, the night
was disturbed by the old familiar strains of " Co,me
Landlord fill tbe flowing Bowl," " John Peel," and
other classical ditties.
On the 6th of June we moved up to Liévin and took
over tbe line from tbe 5th Sherwood Foresters. For
the first rime the oflqcers were clothed exactly as the
men. " 1)" Co. (Burnett) was in front, "A " Co.
{Brought.on) in support, and " B " and " C " {¥Vynne
and Moore) in the row of bouses just west of Riaumont
Hill. Tbese bad bardlv settled down belote a shell
burst in tbe doorway of "C " Company Headquarters
killing Serjeant Harper, the Lewis Gun N.C.O., and
wounding six o.tbers, amongst them ano.ther Gunner,
L/Cpl. Morris. At the saine rime 2nd Lieut. A. L.
Macbeth had to go to Hospital with lever; Capt. \Vynne
was also far from well, but refused to leave his
Company on the eve of tbe attack.
The final preparations were ruade on the night of the
7th/Sth, wben two parties went out to eut wire, 2nd
Lieut. Banwell and -°nd Lieut. C. S. Allen. The first
part 3 , found some thick wire, placed tbeir ammonal
tubes and successfullv blev several gaps. The others,
under 2nd Lieut. Allen, found no uncut xx'ire, so brought
their tubes back. Everything was readv bv dawn on
th.e 8th, and Zero was ordered for 8-30 p.m. the saine
day.
For several days the Monmouthshires had been at
work deepening " Assign " trench, and had done much,
but it was still shal[ow, and there is rm doubt that as

LIÉVIN

LENS. 191

" B " and " C " Companies came up it betxveen 5.0 and
6.0 p.m., they were seen from the top of " Hill 6t5."
For as "B " Company passed the group of cottages
South of Riaumont Hill, the Boche opened a heavy tire
on the trench and dr, opped a shell right amongst the
Company Headquarters. Capt. Wynne was untouched,
but his Serjeant-Major, Go.re, and his runner, Ghent,
both first-class soldiers, xvere killed by his side.
Assembly was complote by 6.0 p.m. and " B,"
"C," xvith "D" Co. in close support, waited for
Zero in some short lengths of trench, dug amongst the
houses at the East end of " Assign " trench. " A "
Co., who were to carry ammunition and stores for the
attackers, formed up near Battalion Headquarters, in
the group of bouses half way up the trench. Capt.
,Vynne, though worn out with fever, and hardly able
to stand, still stuck to his Company.
At 8.30 p.m. the barrage opened, and the attack
s.tarted. Almost the first shell exploded some ammuni-
tion dump on the far side of the slag heap, and the
whle battle was lit up by the giganti.c tire which
foll.owed. Against the red glow the black figures of
"C " Company could be seen swarming up the slag-
heap, clearing the two trenches, " Boot " and " Brick,"
on its summit, and sweeping on to clean out the dug-
outs beyond. There were many Germans on and
around the heap, and in a short time between 80 and
100 were killed, nearlv all with the bayonet. Serjeant
Needham stormed a trench mortar emplacement, him-
self acc,ounting for,most of the crew. Serjeant Roberts,
formerly of the Transport, and with his Company for
the first rime, was much annoyed to find a bay<)net
through lais arm, but did hOt stop until he had dealt

192 THE FIFTH LEICESTER.qHIRE.

with its owner and any of his friends he could find.
Pte. Tookey and many others sh,owed splendid dash,
b,ombing dug-outs, bayonetting stray Huns, and
ccasionally taking a priso.ner or tvo. But the central
figure of the fight vas 2nd Lieut. Banwell. Armed xvith
a rifle and bayonet he simply tan amock and
slaughtered some eight of the enemv bv himself, while
their leader he tan to the edge o.f the slag-heap and
kicked over the side ino the lake, vhere he broke his
neck and was drowned. Altogether this Company took
eight prisoners and destroyed three machine guns and
two trench mortars.
Meanwhile the attack on the left had failed. At
Zero Captain XVynne led "B " Company from their
trenches and advanced towards the " L-shaped " build-
ing. They had hardly started befo,re their ranks xvere
swept from end to end with machine gun tire from the
bouses to their left and front. Capt. \¥vnne and 2nd
Lieut. R. B. Farrer were killed, 2nd Lieut. \V. I.
Nelson was xvounded, and the company had no officers
left. Still, under the N.C.O.'s, they tried to push
forward, only to meet with mo,re losses. They xvere
compelled to stop, and, under Serjeant Martin, the
senior N.C.O. left, began to dig a line a fexv yards east
of their starting trench. Serjeant Passmore, xvho xvas
acting Serjt.-Major, Serjts. Kemp, Thorpe and Hibbert
were ail wo.unded, L/Cpl. Aris and nine others killed,
and lo,re than half the Co.mpany xvounded. For some
time Battalion Headquarters knev no.thing of this
disaster, and it was only xvhen the Signaller L/Cpl.
W.oolley came back to report, that Col. Trimble heard
• vhat had happened. He at once ordered " D " Com-
pany to fill the gap, so as to ptîotect the left flank of

LENS. 193

"C " Company, which he knexv must be seriously
exposed.
" A " Ciompans, carrying ammunition, had also
had their casualties, and -°nd Lieut. Broughton,
af ter being lait more than once, eventually had
to lcave them. He had been personally organizing
most of the parties, and during the battle was every-
where, quite regardless of danger. Consequently,
when he went, " A " Company became scattered;
parties which had delivered their ammunition did hot
know where to go; and some of them, a few undcr
Serjeant Putt and Pte. Dakin, wandered into the slag-
heap and took part in the battle, helping to kill some of
the Boche there. " D " Company lost two killed and
ten wounded, for their position, joining the two flanks,
was exposed to a considerable amount of enfilade tire.
As soon as they had cleared the summit of the slag-
heap " C " Company s.tarted to consolidate " Boo,t "
and " Brick " trenches, while the most foi-ward of the
attackers formed a protective screen. Their position
was precarious. Thcy were exposed to heavv tire from
the generating station and " Hill 65," while unable to
keep a watch on the low ground off the Souchez river
vallev or East of the slag-heap, where numbers of
Boche could assemble unseen. The " L-shaped "
building, toc>, was a thorn in their left flank. Still thev
zvere well established, when Co.l. Thorpe and Captain
XVade, the Brigade Major, came round the line and
loeked at our new positions. They left the slag-heap
just before dawn, and a few minutes later, when thev
were talking to Capt. Moore in his headquarters in the
cottages below, a runner came in to announce a biff
B.oche counter-attack. It was still too dark to see

194 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

much, but our sentries oo.uld make out large numbers o.f
men closing in on them from three sides, and tire wa
opened. The Boche dropped into shell holes, but
continued his advance steadily, making use of ail
available cover. "C " Company, finding their rifles
useless and very sh.ort of ammun.iti.on,  aited until thev
came near enough to start bombing, and then gave-
them a volley of Mills grenades. But once again we were
ruined bv the ineflïciency of those in rear; the bombs
had no detonators. In a few minutes the Company
would have been completely surrounded, so slowly and
in good order they withdrew, first to the edge of the
heap, and then down to the oottages at the bottom.
One group of men stayed for an incredibly l'ong time on
a ledge partway down the face, but in the end they too-
had to corne awav. During the night the Company
lost one killed and twenty-eight wounded, rive of whom
staved at dutv; two others were badlv wounded during
the counter-attack, were subsequently captured, and
died as prisoners in German_v--Privates A. Beck and
R. Collins. At the rime, the withdrawal from the slag-
hcap seemed like a defeat, but, had we stayed, out
casualties would have been far worse and the result the
saine; for with daylight, nothing could have lived on
the heap, so long as the Generating Station and " Hill
(;5 " remained in German hands.
The ni'ht after the battle we were relieved bv the
5th Lincolnshires and marched out to Red Mill again for
a few davs' res.t. V'e were congratulated by the
General on the fight, and Captain Moore and "C "
Company came in for special praise for their work with
the bavonet. Capt. \Vvnne and -'2nd Lieut. Farrer
were buried in Bullv Grena.v, and Lieut. N. C.

LENS. 195

Marriott ok over "B " Company. For the last
twenty four ho,urs it had been commanded by Lieut.
Petch, who returned from Hospital i.n the middle of
the battle. He now went to "A " Company again,
and was promoted Captain. Lieut. Marriott got his
Captaincy a few weeks later. Capt. Shields returned
fom leave and took command o,f "D " again, xvhile
Capt. Burnett went to Headquarters.

CHAPTER XI.

HILL 65.

13th June, 1917. ,th :Iuly, 1917
THoSE who had hoped for a rcst aftcr the battle were
disappointed, for, on the 13th of June, we once more
went into the line oppositc Fosse 3. The enemy
seemed to bave rec,overed from out attack on the 8th,
and we spent a quiet rive da.vs, gaining no ground and
suffering practically" no casualties. Towards the end
of the tour the Canadians gained a footing on the
Southern corner of the slag-heap and established a post
there, and at the saine rime took the whole of the
Generating Station and the high ground round it. It
seemed improbable that the Boche could hold Boot and
Brick trenches much longer, so the General brought the
5th' Lincolnshires into the line on the evening of the
18tb to make a new attack on Fosse 3. This attack
was to take the form of a large raid.
Leaving "A " Company (Petch) in close support in
Cité des Garennes we went out to Red Mill while the
attack took place, and the following da3" , the 19th, the
Lincolnshires sent us down 2 prisoners to guard.
Their raid had been a great success, they had cleared
the slag-heap and the machine buildings and killed
manv Boche as well as taken prisoners. As a result
of this the Lincolnshires were able to move into Boctt

HILL GS. 197

and Brick for their outpost line, and here on the "20th
we relieved them. Twice during tbe relief the S.O.S.
Signal was fired bv out posts in the front line on accourir
of suspected counter-attacks, but out artillerv replied
so promptl. and so efl]cientlv tbat nothing materialized.
Out second night in the line was disastrous. During
this fightlng round Lens, any pr.c.gress ruade was the
result of minor operations, raids and even patrol fights,
and there was seldom a large sc.ale battlc. It was
naturallv diltàcult to keep ail units informed of the latest
progress, and this ditficultv was particularly great in
ur case, when trying to maintain liaison with tbe
Canadians. The Souchez river was the boundary
between the two corps, and made it impossible for us
to visit their front line troops, l.Ve had therefore to
relv on Division and Corps headquarters keeping each
other po.sted as to the latest progress, and on more
than one occasion this liaison broke down, and we
suffered very heavilv.
At dusk on the 21st we reccived a message, and at
once warned ail ranks, that the Special Brigade R.E.
were going to carrv out a gas bombardment of the mine
buildings o.f Fosse 3. Proiectors would be fired bv
a Company operating" with the Canadian Corps, from
whose front the buildings could be best attacked. The
wind was satisfactory, and the buildings were at least
150 yards awav from out nearest trenches, so there
seemed no need of anv special precautions. "C "
Cc,mpany, occup.ving Boot and Brick trenches, heard
the familiar explosion as the projectors went off, and
waited to bear them rail in the buildings. Instead,
thev fell in out trenches, several hundred of them; in
a few seconds, and belote anv warning could be

198 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

shouted, the trenches were full of phosgene, the
deadliest of ail gasses. Officers and men worked hard
to rouse those resting, and, in particular, nd Lieut.
Banwell taking no heed for his own safet_v, went everv-
where, rousing, rescuing and helping the badly gassed.
But it was to.o late, and all through the night and next
morning casualties were being carried out to Liévin and
clown the line. nd Lieuts. Craggs and Macbeth both
went to England, and, almost the last to leave the slag-
heap, nd Lieut. Banwell. His great strength had
enabled him to survive longer than the others, but no
constitution could stand ail that phosgene, and during
the morning he suddenlv fainted, and had to be carried
clown. Bv the time he reached Liévin he was almost
dead, and the Doctors held out no hope of his recoverv.
However, fed on ox.vgen and champagne he lasted a
week, and then, to evervbodv's surprise, began to
recover. The greatest surprise of all was when this
marvellous man refused to go to England, but preferred
to remain in Hospital in France until fit enough to
reioin his own Battalion. Vith the excepti,on of Capt.
Moore, who vas fortunately on leave at the time, " C "
Company was wiped out and temporarily ceased to exist.
Twentv-four died from the poison, and in all sixtv-two
others of the Company went to H,ospital. Most of these
round their way to England, though one or two, such
as Serit. Needham and L/Cpl. Tookey, both fighting
men, preferred to remain and return to us. "D "
Co.mpany also had their losses, and Serjeant Sullivan
and nine others were gassed, ten others wounded. The
rest of the Battalion escaped untouched.
The following night the 8th Sherwood Foresters came
into the line, and we went back o Marqueffles Farm.

HILL 65. 199

Our losses had been heavy and so far ve had had
practically no reinforcements, so had to reorganise our
three remaining Companies xvith three plato.ons each
instead of four. W'e were also beo,ming short of
officers, havin K lost eight and only received one
reinforcement--Lieut. R. J. H. F. .Vatherstone, who
came to us from England.
We spent two davs res.ting and cleanin K ourselves,
and tç'ing to reccver from the effects of the bat(le,
before startin K on anv more serious work. On the
Sunday, at Church Parade, General Thwaites came and
spoke to us, congratulating us once more on the 8th,
and praising especially" " C" Company for their
bavonet work. He was very angry indeed about the
gas disaster and explained the cause. It appeared
that the Company carr.ving out the operation had never
been informed of out occupation of the trenches on the
slag heap, and that, when thev said thev were going to
bombard the mine buildings, thev meant the whole
area, including these trenches, which they imagined
were still held bv the enemv.
The whole Division was now verv weak, for the
series of small battles during the past six weeks had
been expensive. However, the hiher autho,rities
considered we were still fit for battle and decided to give
us one more show, before sendin us to some quiet
trenches to recuperate. The obieetive this tlme was
" Hill 65," " Adjunct," " Adjacent " and " Advance "
trenches and the outskirts of the Cité du Moulin--the
last of the Cités outside Lens itself. Three Battali.ons
would attack, ourselves on the right, out 4th Battalion
in the centre, and the 5th S. Staffordshires on the left.
Practice started at once over a flagged course, and out

200 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

new Brigadier, General F. (;. lI. Rowley, C. 3I.G., of
the .XIiddlesex Rcgiment, came to watch us at work.
Out fo.rmation differed slightly from that used in
previous fights, for we gave grcat pro.minence 1o the
" lIoppers." Several times latelv the leading waves
o.f an assault had gone straight to their final objective,
consolidated, and then found themselves eut off by
parties o.f thc cnenLv, over wlom thev had passed during
the advance. Now a line of " moppers " was detailed
to follow ten vards behind each wave, with orders to
mop up everything and leave no living Boche anvwhere
behind the assaulting tro,ops. In o.ur case "D "'
Cmpany (Shiclds) would mop up, " A " and " B "
(Petch and 3larriott) would malce the attack, while two
Companies of the 4th Lincolnshires were detailed to
assist us with carrying parties.
\Vhile we were practising this, on the "25th the troops
in the line marie further pr3gress, s,omewhat lightening
¢ur tsk, but not nccessitating anv alteration in out
plans of attack. The battle was ordered for the 28th
June, and the prcvious evening xxe moved up Assign
trench to out assemblv positions, Boo.t and Brick
Trenches on the slag heap. \Ve were to relieve parti3"
I.inc.o.lnshires and partly Monmouths'hires, and for some
reason or ther there was cCnfusion among the guides.
Those detailed for "' .-\ " Company wanted to lead them
to the right instcad of the lcft of the assaulting frontage,
while " B " Cmpany had " A's " guides. Fortunatelv
Capt. l'etch was able to catch his plato,ons in time, and,
dismissing the guides, sent each to its correct position.
Serjeant Putt, who had started first, he could no.t warn
in rime, but fortunatelv this N.C.O. knew enough of the
plans to know that he was beiug led wrngly, and so

HILL (;5, 201

retraced lais steps and rejoined the test o{ lais Company
on the slag-heap. " A " Company were in po.sition bv
10.0 p.m., but the other companies were seriouslv
delaved and wandered about most of the night under
guides, ho took /hem the wrong way. To add to the
confusion out liaison with the Canadians alain broke
down, and wi/h,out anv warning the l)ivision on out
right suddenlv launched an a/tack. Barrages followed
bv both sides and the noise conti«med througho.ut the
night. Long af ter the attack was over the noise went
on, for everv few minutes some post would ,,et nervous
and send up an S.O.S. signal, immediatelv calling
down a barrage, to which the o.ther side would reply in
kind. Ail this took place o the other side of the
Souehez river, but we came in for much shelling, and
the relief was no,t finallv complete until 5.0 a.m. At
dawn we were ail in position. " B " Company
(.Xlarriott) was on the right with a frontale from the
Souchez river to the Southern edge of the naine
buildings ; " . " (Petch) was on the left, with the length
of the buildings as their frontale; "' I)" [Shields)
assembled under the slag-heap behind'them. Zero was
ordered for 7.20 p.m.
The original plan had been for the assaulting
Cmpanies to leave their assemblv trenches a few
minutes before Zero, and, moving forward carefully, to
form up for the attack a few vards in front. At 7.0
p.m. it was still, of course, bright daylight ; the enemv
had two observation balloons up, and there were several
aeroplanes about. It seemed that anv such movement
must be no.ticed. However, rate was on out side,
and at 7.15 p.m. a tain storm burst over the country',
completely obscuring the view, and bv Zero the assault-

02 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

ing tro,o,ps were lying out ready. They had not been
seen.
At 7-'20 p.m. the rain stopped, the barrage started,
and we went forward. At the same time real and
dummy gas attacks were made North of the Liévin-
Lens road, and the enemv must have wondered very
much where the main attack would be. The result was
satisfactorv ; we met n.o real barrage and no verv heavy
machine gun tire, though there was a considerable
amount of scattered shooting of both kinds. This did
not delav our advance, though 2nd Lieut. Dawes was
wounded and had to leave his Company. Our only
difficultv was the mine building, through which "A "
Company" were supposed to advance; this was found to
be impenetrable, and Captain Petch had to send half his
Company through " B " Company"s frontage, and half
through the 4th Leicestershires, so as to avoid it.
" Adjunct " and " Adjacent " trenches were reached
practically xithout loss, but the enemv did not stay to
receive us, and we found them empty. At 7.40 p.m.
Yates, the "A" Company runner, reached headquarters
with the neufs of the success of the battle.
Adjacent trench was organised as out new OUtlO.St
line and several strong points were built along it. \Ve
also secured the \Vestern end of " Almanac," a com-
munication trench running N.E. alongside the railxvay.
Halfway up this trench a deserted Boche machine gun
post would have provided tlS with an excellent forward
post, but unfortunateh" it was i.n our defensive barrage
line and we were not allowed to occupy it. Ve had,
therefore, to conten,t ourselves with collecting the sou-
venirs, which included a telephone, and to co.me awav.
lATe had several casualties while consolidating, and lost

HILL 65. 203

another oflïcer, 2nd Lieut. M. J. S. Dyson, who was
slightly wounded by a strav shell. "B " Company
lost Cpl. Baker wounded, and L/Cpl. Snow of "A "
xvas also hit, in addition to two killed and twenty-five
others xvounded in the Battalion. The scattered shell-
ing became somewhat more concentrated after our
arrival, but did hot stop our consolidation, which went
forward rapidly with only one pause. About 8.0 p.m.
there was a terrific rainstorm and everyone stopped
work to put on waterproof sheets. The enemv must
have done the saine, and it xvas curious to notice how
the battle stopped while everybody sheltered, f.«r while
the tain lasted there was complete silence, and neither
side fired a shot.
Our task thc next mo.rning xvas to discover how far
the Boche had retired. The Canadians South of the
river had pushed on to the outskirts o.f Cité St. Antoine,
almost in Lens itself, and, with " Hill t;5 " in our
hands, the German positions in the Cité du Moulin
xvere overlooked from everwvhere. Patrols were sent
forward to investigate, and 2nd Lieut. Brooke, with
some of "D" Company, pushed forward up "Almanac"
trench as far as the Arras road. Here thev caught
sight o.f a Boche patrol, which promptly fled as fast as
possible. Except for th, is, the dav passed quietly, as
did the following mo.rning.
The afternoon of the 30th, however, was far from
quiet, and for several hours our new line was heavily
shelled. In addition to the usual field batteries, there
was one heavv gun which fired continuoush" on " A "
Company's lines, obtaining a direct hit on Company
Headquarters. Capt. Petch and 2nd Lieut. Campbell
were both buried but hot seriouslv hurt. Serit. Ault,

204 THE FIFTH LEIt'E.qTERSHIRE.

the acting Serjeant-Major, \Vheeldon and Stevenson,
the two runners, ail three old soldiers of exceptional
ability, were killed. Raven, another runner, was
xvounded, l)owns had alreadv been hit, and was again
severeh" shaken, but both these stayed at duty, while
they helped Lillev and Balderstone, wlm pluckily came
along, to dig out those who were buried, in ail twentv-
eight were wounded, making our casualties for the
battle three ottcers and ninetv other ranks. That
ni.ht the 4th Lincolnslaires relieved us, and we went
into Brigade reserve, txxo Companies in Cité des
Garenncs, the other in Liévin.
A fcw hours after relieving tlS the Lincolnshires made
another attack, but failed to gain much ground, and
met with considerable opposition fro.m the neighbour-
hood of the Arras road. Their casualties were
consequently heavy, alad thev asked to be relieved again
the following night, so we were ordered to go up once
more and take over their new line. Guides xxere to
have met us at the " Broken bridge " near " Adjacent "
trencb, but onlv those for "A" and "B" Companies
arrived, and for several hours Captain Shields waited
with "D " Company, not knowing where to take lais
men. Apparently there had been some further opera-
tions, and the Lincolnshires had been shelled, in anv
case no guides appeared, and it was nearlv dawn. At
last, Capt. Shields, knowing that in a few minutes he
would not bave time to reach the front line, even if
guides did arrive, gave the order to " about turn,"
and marched back. This caused c.nsiderable discus-
sion at Battalion Headquarters, and Brigade finalh"
decided that Cl. Trimble should take over the line
with two companies of the 4th Lincolnshires in front

HILL |;'. 205

in the outpost line, two of our Companies in " Acorn "
and " Adiunct," and one Company of ours undcr the
slag-heap. \Ve xvere ail well dug in, and consequently
did not lose verv heavily when the follo«ring da3", the
2nd o,f July, we xvere shelled continuouslv for severai
hours. Our tt:lcpho.ne lines were almost all eut, so that
messages had tobe sent bv the runners, xvhose task
was far from pleasant on these occasions. Throughout
these two months of lighting in I+ens thc runners, both
Battalion and Company, had proved thcmsclvcs tobe
verv line soldicrs. VVe relied on thcm almost entirelv
in battle, for tclephone wircs nevcr lasted long, and
pigeons, once released, did not return. But the
runners never failed, and what is more xvere alwavs
cheerful. Cheerfuilv thev crawled alo.ng some exposed
street, or dodged round houses in the Cité St. Pierre,
cheerfullv thev faced Assign trench and Liévin corner,
and equally cheerfullv they cro.ssed the slag-heap, o[ten
having to go actuallv tbrough a barrage to reach their
destination. Grogan, Collins, Sullivan, Raven, Kil-
corne and others, alwavs readv and alwavs willing, they
would work till thev dropped, and the Battalion oxves
much to their courage and endurance.
The 3rd of July passed quietly, and that night we
were relieved bv the 25th Canadians and marched to
Aix Noulette, where we embussed and went to Monchv
Breton for a test.

CHAPTER XII.

ST. ELlE LEFT.

Cth ]uly, 1917. 23rd Nov.. 1917.
",,V stayed for three weeks at Mo.ncby Breton and
enjoyed ourselves imrnensely, with good weather, good
billets and plenty of garnes. The Headquarters lived
and rnessed at lI. le Curé's, where they consurned a
disgraceful arnount of strawberries and crearn, while
the other officers under Captain Burnett rnessed
together in ancther bouse. But the chief feature of
this period of rest was the Divisional Rifle meeting, a
regular Bisley meeting, which took place at tbe end of
it. It was a triurnph for the 5th Leicestershires, for
we carried off arnongst other trophies the G.O.C. 's Cup.
R.S.M. Srnall, D.C.M., had one "first" and two
" seconds," Corporal F. H. J. Spencer, M.M., one
" first " and one " second," in the individual cornpeti-
tions, vhile Serit. Clancv and Pte. F. Bindlev von the
assault course and individual " pools. " On the second
da)" " A " and " B " Cornpanies each got third place in
the Company Assault Course and Snap-shooting
Crnpetitions, and "C " was second in the Cornpany
" Knock-out " and third in the " running man " corn-
petitions. In this last Pte. Pepper won third place
in the pool. Finallv our officers' team won the
revolver shoot. The rifle shooting throughout both

ST. ELIE LEFT. 207

davs was of a very high order, but the saine cannot be
said for the revolver work, and we only won this last
oempetition by being nt quite so terriblv bad as
anybody else.
On the 20th of July we received o.rders to go into
action again--this time to a quiet sector near Hulluch--
and the foll,owing day we moved to Vaudricourt. The
C.O. and most of the otticers went by motor-'bus
through to Philoso.phe to reconnoitre the new line; the
test of the Battalion set out under Captain Burnett to
match. The previous evening had been spent in
celebrating out rifle-shooting victories and ve felt like
anything rather than marching twenty mlles under a
blazing July sun. Those who took part in it will never
frget that match; it was worse than " Luron to
Vv'are " in 1914. Packs seemed heavier than ever
before, the bill at Houdain was to0 much for many,
and the beer and white wine of the previous evening
proved stronger than march discipline, and manv fell
out. We finally crawled into Vaudrioeurt at :t-0 p.m.
--tired out.
The follwing evening our Transport lines and
Quartermaster's Stores moved to Labourse and we went
into the line, relieving the 2nd ¥o,rk and Lancaster
Regiment in the Hulluch right sector. For six davs
we lived in tunnels, with a front line which consisted of
odd is.lated posts at the end of each passage. The
old front line trench seemed to have disappeared
entirelv. \Ve were hot much w,rried bv the enemy, in
fact, except for one trench mortar near Hulluch, called
the " Goose," he kept verv quiet. At the end of the
tour we were relieved bv the !th Battalic, n and went into
billets at Noeux les Mines.

0 THE FIFTH LEICETER.'4HIRE.

Noeux was hot shelled during our stay, so we had
a peaceful time, though one officer was somewhat
troubled on waking the first morning to find attached
to his house the following notice : " Tins CRoss Ro.',DS
lS REGIS'rERED. No I»ARTIES TO H?,LT HERE. " XVe did
hot star long, however, for on the 30th July we were
suddenlv ordcred to move to Fouquières to prepare for
a coming raid, and marched thcre during the afternoon,
Battali.on Headquarters to the Çhateau, Companies to
the village. For some reason best knoan to himself
the billeting otl]cer had billeted all officers with the
wron companies, but this was soon rectified, and we
were verv comfortable.
Out coming raid was to be carried out against the
enemv's trenches VCest of Hulluch on a frontaçe of
300 vards. The sector chosen was bo.unded on the
North bv Hendon and on the South by Hicks Alley,
while Herring Aller was in the centre. There were
three German lines, and on the left a small extra line
between the first and second, which we named Hincklev
Trench. The schcme was for two Companies to take
and hold the German third line, c.ne Company to mop
up behind them, and the fourth Company to follow
with some Engineers to demolish dug-outs. One of
the forward Companies would bave to send a special
party to dcal with the " Goose " trench mortar. All
wire cutting would be done bv the Artillery, who were
allowed a fortnight for it, so that they might hot excite
the enemv too much bv heavv shooting. During this
rime we were to detail an oflicer to stav in the line,
watch the sh.ooting, and patrol the gaps at night. We
would also practise the attack over a flagged course.
The flagged course was set out very elaborately at

ST. ELIE LEFT. 209

Hesdigneul, and hot only was each trench shown, but
small notice boards denoted the position of everv
supposed machine gun, trench m,ortar, or deep dug-out.
Practices took place first bv dav and finally by night,
for the raid was to be a night attack, and various
lamp signals were arranged to assist the withdrawal.
The positio.n of Hulluch village was indicated on the
practice ground bv a la.rge notice board--Ht'cLtT«'t--
which probably gave anv spies there might be i,n
Hesdigneul a very fair idea of what was intended.
Meanwhile, we received various reinforcements.
Lieut. G. E Russell returned, lld Lieut. \V.
Cole came from the Artists' Rifles, nd Lieuts. R. \V.
Edge, T. R. L. Gibson, R. B. Raws,on, C. P. Shilton,
R. \V. Sanders, L. \V. Mandy, and J. S. Plumer came
to us for the first time from England. At the saine
time a large party of men, arriving at Monchv Breton,
had enabled us to reconsti.tute "C " Company, so that
we now had four (3ompanies of three platoons each,
and enough oflàcers for two Battalions. Lieut. Pearson
went t,o Hospital and thence to England, and Capt.
\Vollaston acted Adjutant. The Cmpany Commanders
were unchaffed.
For the second xveek of our fortnight we slightly
relaxed the vigour of our practices, and devoted more
rime to musketQ', bombing, and training the demolition
parties for their work. The oflàcers to take part in the
raid were also chosen, and various tasks allotted to
the others. Capt. Shields with °nd Lieut. Cole and
"D" Company would make the right attack; Capt.
Petch with nd Lieut. Gibson and "A " C;o.mpany, the
left. "B " Çompany (Cpt. Marrio.tt and nd Lieut.
C S. Allen) would be the supports, and the two

10 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

demolition parties would be found by "C " Company
under nd Lieuts. Lowe and Edge. 2nd Lieut. Plumer
was detailed to take a party of "D " Company to
destmy the " Goose." Lieut. G. E. Russell was
" O.C. Searchlight," and various other officers were
chosen to count the raiding party when they returned.
Meanwhile, up in trenches the most wonderful work
was being done by 2nd Lieut. Brooke and six other
ranks of " D " Company--L/Cpl. Clapham, Ptes.
Haines, Hanford, J.ç:hnson, Ma»on, and Rolls. This
xvas the party left in the line with the Staffordshires
to observe the wire cutting and patrol the gaps. At
first, 2nd Lieut. Brooke spent his days with the
F.O.O. and confined his patrolling to the hours of
darkness, but later he was out in front both day and
night. On two ccasions he came into contact with
the enemy. First, on his very first patrol, he had
iust reached the enemy's wire, and was trying to find
a way through, when the enemy opened a heavy tire at
close range. L/Cpl. Clapham was killed, shot through
the head, and it was only with the utmost difiïculty
that the rest of the party escaped with their lires.
The second encounter was in daylight. The Stafford-
shires had reported that they believed the German front
line to be unoccupied, so on the 13th August, in the
middle of the afternoon, 2nd Lieut. Brooke crossed
No Man's Land, passed through the wire and entered
the Boche front line. I-le was iust exploring it when
a ver.v surprised German came round a corner and
saw him. 2nd Lieut. Brooke at once left the trench
and took shelter as quickly as possible in a shell hole
outside. A perfect sh.ower of bombs and rifle grenades
were thrown after him, but he xvas un.touched, and
regained our lines xvithout a scratch.

ST. ELlE LEFT. 211

On the lth August, after a verv happy fortnight at
Fouquières, we m.o,ved fo the huts at Noyelles,
where the special stores for the coming raid were
issued. At the saine time all pay books, badges,
identity discs and personal kits were handed in, and to
each man was issued a small round cardboard disc
with a number o.n it. The foll.owing morning we
paraded at 10 a.m., and marched through Vermelles
to Lone Trench and Tenth Avenue, where we were t.o
wait until it was time to assemble. On the way, " B "
Company had a serious disaster. A shell, intended fo.r
one of out batteries Vrest of Vermelles, fell on the
Company as they were passing the Mansion House
Dump. They were marching in fours and had prac-
tically a whole plate,on wiped out, for eleven vere
killed and fourteen wounded. .,mongst the killed was
Freddie Chambers, self-appointed Company humorist,
and one .of the best known and most cheerful soldiers
in the Battalio.n.
Our l'atro.1 party was waiting for us in Lone Trench,
but their report was far from satisfacto.ry. 2nd Lieut.
Brooke declared that there were bv no means enough
g'aps, in fact none at ail on the left, and Colonel
Trimble asked for the raid to be postponed. Mean-
vhile, nd Lieut. Brooke went off to the front line,
where he finally was able to convince the Divisional
Intelligence Oflàcer tha-t there were hot sulîàcient gaps,
and at the last moment, as the Companies were pre-
paring to move to their assemblv positions, the raid
was postponed for L2-t hours. Accordingly we spent
the night in our somewhat cramped surroundin.s in
Lone Trench, and the following dav the Artillery con-
tinued to cut the wire, this rime with better success.

91 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSH1RE.

One of the original objects of the raid had been to
detract attention from a Canadian attack on "' Hill
70 " to be ruade at the saine rime. This attack we
watched from the back of Lone trench, and later in
the day were able to give material assistance. The
German co.tlnter attack c.ame from be.hind Hulluch, near
ïngles, and the troops for it assembled and started
their a.ttack in view of out posts. Captain Ellwood and
lais m`achine gunners at once got to work and did terrific
executi.on, being chiefly responsible for the failure o.f
tbe enemv's efforts, and en`abling the Canadians to hold
the Hill.
So successful was the vire eutting on the 16th, that
out patrol reported all readv for the raid, and ac-
cordinffly we moved at dusk to o.ur assembly positions.
One aire,ration in the pi.an of attack had to be ruade
at the last minute. It had oiginally been intended
that the attacking platoons, after passing in file through
out wire, should spread out in No Man's Land into
lines. As the German wire was onlv cut into gaps
and no.t obliterated, it xvas now decided that platoons
should keep in file until through that belt also, and
spread out on entering the front line. Bridges xxere
placed over out fro.nt line, ail faces were blackened,
and bv 10-30 p.m. ail were readv for Zeo, which was
to be ]0-58 p.m.
The barrage started promptly, and the advance
began. The enemv's wire was a little thick on both
flanks, but all passed through fa, irlv eas.ily and entered
the front line, vhere, as arranged, each man shouted
to show he had arrived. Two enemv were f, ound and
killed, but much of the trench was lu11 of wire. The
attackers passed on rapidly to the second and third

ST. ELIE LEFT. 213

lines, finding the wire thicker in front o{ each line, but
finallv reaching their objective and building bombing
blocks. It was a dark night, and to avoid losing touch,
Captains Petch and Shiçlds had arranged to call each
other's names as they went forward. Suddenly
Captain Shield's volte stopped ith one last cry, and
Captain l'etch hurrying to the spot found he had been
tait bv a shell and terribly wounded in both legs.
However, lais Ccmpany reached the third line, and the
party under 2nd Lieut. Plumer set out to destroy the
G.oose.
Meanwhile, the mopping up and demoliti,on continued
behind the attack. Several Germans were found and
killed in the second l.ine, but on the whole verv few
enemv were seen, somehow thev had managed to
escape. Probably there were manv tunnels, and in the
dark it was quite impossible to tell what was a tunnel
entrance and what merelv a dug-out. Manv of the
latter were destroved by "C " Company, though they
lost nd Lieut. Lowe, who was slightly wcunded,
through bein too keen to watch the effect of one of
his ovn Mills bombs. Corporal Tunks and Pte. Baker
did particularl.v good work with these demolition
parties.
Back at Battallon Headquarters was a listening set,
and this managed to overhear the German Company
Commander's telephone report to lais headquarters.
" We are being attacked ..... front line penetrated,
.... second line wrecked .... third line etatered
.... send up two sections." The two sections came
in two parts. A strong bombing attack was made up
Hicks Aller vhich was held bv our bombing part 3" at
the newly built block; at the saine time out left was

1" THE F1FTH LE1CESTERSH1RE.

attacked over the open. "A " Company xvere readv
for them, and Lilley, the Lewis Gunner, soon accounted
for many and broke up the attack. " D " Company
also had some fighting, in which both 2nd Lieut. Cole
and Serjeant Growdridge distinguished themselves.
The rime finallv came for the withdrawal, and the
special tiare lights we.re fired. Unfortunately they
failed lo light, and messages had to be sent at once
to the raid area. The enemv were held off while the
withdrawal was carried out, and bv 2-0 a.m. the lïth
the majority of the raiding party had returned. Captain
Shields was carried in bv Ç.S.M. Passmore, who very
gallantly staved out some time after the others were ail
back, but nothing could be round of Capt. Marriott
or 2nd Lieut. Plumer and the " Goose " party. Capt.
Marriott had been last seen in the second German line,
but he had been mis.sed in the withdrawal, and was
never seen again. We brought no prisoners and no
identifications, though one man brought back a rifle and
another some papers from a dug-out. Several of the
enemv had undoubtedly been killed, but no one had
thought to cut off shoulder straps or search for pay
books. At 3-0 a.m. we returned to Noyelles, where we
spent the day cleaning and repairing out clothing.
The raid had hOt been a success. We lost Captain
Marriott, 2nd Lieut. Plumer, and seven men missing,
whom we never heard of again. Three more men were
kn.on to be killed, and three others were afterwards
reported prisoners, while no less than fiftv-one vere
wounded. Cpt. Shields, the most cheerful, strenuous,
and popular of Company Commanders, would never
fight again. He reached Chocques h.o,spital with one leg
almost blo«vn off and the other badlv shattered, and

ST. ELIE LEFT. 215

the l)octors dccided to anaputate the one at once. It
is still reco.rded as a unique feat, that throughout the
operation ncither the paticnt's puise ncr tempcrature
altercd, thanks to his wonderful onstitution. The
other leg so,on healed, and within a few months he was
hopping over fences in England in the best of spirits.
"B " Company had lost their second Company Com-
mander in two months. Likc his friend Capt. Vylme,
Captain Marriott had so.on won his way to the hearts
of his Company, with whom he rose from l'latoon
C3.mmander, while in the llcss he was one of the
merriest of compa.nions and the friend of ail.
Tbcre is no doubt that the enemy had been prcpared
for us. The rapidity with which his barrage started,
the partly wircd trenches, empty dug-outs and absence
of garris.on all pointed to this. He probably waited for
us at lais tunnel entrances, and hurried awav as soon as
we arrived ; the few we found were those who had been
too slow in getting awav. As far as we ourselves were
concerned, we onlv ruade one mistake--failin to bring
back any identification. Apart from this ail ranks had
wrked well, and we were congratulated bv General
Thwaites on our efforts.
Five davs after the raid we relieved the 4th Leicester-
shires in a ncw trenc.h sector, the " St. Elic left," and
fo.r nearlv three months the Brigade remained in this
saine part of the line. The scctor had its naine from a
much battered coal' naine, the Cité St. Elle, which stood
just inside the German lines opposite. About rive
hundred vards on crur right, the Vermelles-Hulluch ro.ad
crossed No Man's Land, while a sim,i-lar distance on our
left, Fosse 8 and its slag heaps formed the chier
feature. All throtlgh 1916 active minin operations had

216 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

been carried out along the whole front, and though
there was rrow a deadlock underground, the craters
still remained a bone of contention; each side tried to
retain its hold on the near lip. Our right Company
held a line of six of these craters, joined together,
called " Hairpin " on account of th.eir shape on the
aeroplane photographs. The centre Company held
another gro.up called Border Redoubt, consisting
amon(,s* other things of two cno.rmous craters, the
Northerl and Southern. Between thcse two groups
lav " Rats" Ceek,'" a short length of trench, '200 yards
from the enemy, and without a crater. The left Com-
pany held another isolated post--" Russian Sap "--500
vards from the centre and not connected with it bv any
usable trench. The old front line between Border and
Hairpin, via Rats' Creek, a distance of 400 yards,
could be used bv liaison patryls at night, but was
impossible by day.
The various posts in " Hairpin " were connected b.
an underground tunnel with four exits to the trench,
wbile another with tvo exits did the same for Border
Redoubt. From each of these, a 300-vard tunnel ran
\Vestwards to what had been the old support line,
where thev were connected underground bv another
long passage--Feetham Tunnel. A brancb of the
Border tunnel led to " Rats' Çreel«" At various
points along these tunnels exits vere built up to
fortified shell holes, occupied bv Lewis gun teams ; these
were our only supports, l)own below lived Co.mpany
'Headquarters, th, e garlison, one or two tunnelling
experts and the specialists, stokes mortars, machine
gunners and others. It was a dreadful existence. The
passages were damp and slippery, the walls covered

ST. ELlE LEFT. 217

in evil-looking red and velloxx spongey fungus, the roof
too low to allow one to walk upright, the ventilation
practically- non existent, the atmosphere, ahvays bad,
became in the earlv mornings intolerable, ail combined
to ruin the health of those who had to lire there. But
hot onh- was one's health ruined, one's " nerves " were
serioush" impaired, and the tunnels had a bad effect on
,o.ne's moral. Knowing we could ahvays slip down
a staircase to safety, wê lost the art of walking on top,
we fancied the dangers of the open air much greater
than thev reallv were, in everv way wê go.t into bad
condition.
The entrance to this tunnel system was at the end
of out onh" communicatio,n trench, Stansfield Road, a
deep well-gridded trench running all the wav from
Vermelles. Battalion Headquarters lived in it, in a
small deep dug-out, 200 yards from thê tunnel entrancê,
and at its junction with the onlv real tire trench, O.B.I,
the reserve line. In this trench thê rêserve Company
lived in a gro.up of dug-o.uts, near the Dump, called
Exeter Çastle. Thê left Company, with one platoon in
Russian Sap and the rt.mainder back in O.B.1, alone
had no tunnels. But after out first few t.ours, the
svstem was altêred, and thê support Company, living
in tunnels, provided the Russian Sap garrison. Bat-
talion Headquarters had a privatê tunnel, part of thê
mining system, leading to Feetham, whfich could be
used in emergency, but as this was unlit, it was quicker
to use the trench. The main tunnel svstem was lit, or
rathêr supposed to be lit, with electric light. This often
failed, and produced of course indescribable chaos.
Although the tunnels had all thêsê disadvantagês, it
is onlv fait to sav that thêy rêducêd our casualtles

218 THE FIFTIt LEICESTERSHIRE.

eno.rmo.usl.v, for duriag the three months we lost only
three officers slightl.v v'ounded and eighteen men; cf
these at least four vere lait out oa patrol. We also
managed to live far m,ore comfortably as regards food
tlan we should o,therwise have been able. Elabo.rate
kitchens xvere built in Stansfield Rad, and hot tea,
s.oup, the inevitable scexv, biscuit pudding, and other
" hlxuries," xvere carr.ied up in hot food co.ntainers to
the most forxvard p»sts. The only difficulty xvas vith
Russiaa Sap, for its approach, Gord.on .oElley, was in a
bad state; but as thc garrisoa xvas there at night only,
thev needed ao.thing more than " midnight tea," and
this could be taken to them over the top.
A light railxvav rata ail the wav frm Saillv Labourse
to Vermellcs, aad thence to the various forxvard dumps,
ours at Exeter Castle. lations and R.E. material
vere loaded at Sailly, taken by train to the Mansion
House Dump at Vermelles, aad then by mule-draxvn
trucks to the front. The Exeter IJump was lively at
times, especially when a machine gunner on Fosse 8
slag heap, popularly kn.oxvn as Ludendorf, vas pointing
his gtm in that direction. But beyond a mule falling
on its back iato O.B. 1, we had no serious tro'ubles, and
got our rations everv night xvith great regularity.
The enemy vere hot very active, although they were
reported o be the 6th Bavarians, " Prince Rupprecht's
Specials." An occasional patrol vas met, aud out
parties were sometimes bombed, but on the whole the
Boche confined lais energies to machine gun tire at
night, scattered shelliug at any time, and heavv trench
mortariaK, mostly bv dav. Fortunately there was hot
much mortaring at night, and what there vas ve
managed to avoid bv carefullv watching the line of

ST. ELIE LEFT. 219

flight, as betrayed by the burning fuse. These heavv
mortar shells with their terrific explosion and enormous
crater were very terrifying, and few soldiers could face
them with the indifference shown to other missiles.
One exception xas L/Cpl. Robinson of "B " Com-
pany vho, with lais Le,vis gun team, treated them xvith
the utm,ost scorn, and used to tire " rapid " with a rifle
at them, as they came through the air.
All this time the svstem of holding the Br.igade sector
vas to have two Battalions in the line, one in Brigade
support, and one resting at Fouquières. Thus, one
rested everv eighteen days for six days, while one's
trench tour was broken bv six davs in the middle in
Brigade support. This last meant Battalion Head-
quarters and two Companics in Plail.oso.phe, the re-
mainder in Curlv Crescent, a support trench several
hundred yards behind O.B. 1. Philosophe was a dirt3
place, but had the advantage of being much less shelled
than the neighb.ouving Vermelles, and we were not
much molested.
Fouquières was alwavs pleasant. The Chateau and
its tennis court and grou.nds made a delightful Battalion
Headquarters, and the Companies had very comfortable
billets in the village. \Ve played plenty of football, and
were within easv reach of Béthune, at this time a very
fashio.nable to.wn. The 25th Divisional Pierrots occu-
pied the theatre which was packed nightly, and the
Club, the " Union Jack " Sh.op, a, nd other famous
establishments, not to men{ion the " Oyster Shop,"
provided excellent rare at wonderfullv exorbitant prices.
During these three m.nths we received many new
officers, some of them staying for a few days before
passing on to Tank Corps, Flyi,ng Corps, or Machine

0 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Gnn Corps, o.thcrs proving themselves worthv of our
best traditio,ns. One party in particular, 2nd. Lieuts.
F. G. Tay'lor, H. C. l)avies, G. K. Dunlop, and ,V. R.
Todd, provided four wl»o came t.o stay, a verv valuable
asset, when s.o mallV merelv looked in for tea and then
xvent awav. Others who came to fight were -°nd Lieuts.
,V. Norman, A. J. Mace, J. S. Argyle, C .D. Boarland,
J. G. Christ3", A. Asher, A. M. Edwards, and, later,
Lieut. 1'. bleasures, who had been with us in 1916 for
a few weeks. Col. Trimble and Capt. Moore each had
a month's lcavc, and Major Griltiths, after commanding
during the Colonel's absence, went to Aldershot for a
three months' course. Cpt. Burnett became .°nd in
Command with the acting tank of Major. Capt. Hills,
the Adjutant, returned fnom England and resumed his
duties, while Captain \Vollaston took charge of "B "
Company for a short time, and then went to the Armv
Sch.ool, where he staved as an Instructor and was lost
to ns. Çaptain Barrowcl,iffe came to us for a short
rime in command of "D " Cmpany, bnt then went
to the Armv .'qchool, and handed the Company over to
Lieut. Bvo,oke, who had been granted an M.C. and
three weeks' leave $or his Hulluch patmls. nd Lieut.
Campbell went to Hospital with the results of gas
pois.oning and had to go to England, whithcr also went
2nd Lieuts. Rawson and (;ibso,n wlm were invalided.
A great loss fo us xxas .our Doctor, Capta.in Morgan,
who had been with us for manv months and was now
sent to Mesopotamia, and was replaced bv a succession
of s.top-gaps until we finallv got the invaluable ,V. B.
Jack. There were changes, too, in the ranks. Most
important was the departure of R.S.M. Small, D.C.M.,
our Serjeant Major since mobilization. He had been

ST. ELlE LEFT. 221

unwell for some time and at length had to go to
Hospital and home to England. Debarred bv his age
from taking a Commission, for which he was so well
suited, he had rendered three vears' very faithful service
to the Battalion, untiring alike in action and o.n the
parade ground, and popular with ail, ol:ficers, N.C.O.'s
and men. He was succeeded bv C.S.M.H.G. Lovett,
formerlv of " B " Company, and latterlv serving with
the 2nd/Sth Battalion. At the saine rime, Serjt. N.
Yeabsley, a very capable horseman and horse toaster,
came to us frm the lth Battali.n as Transport
Serjeant.
This long tour of trench xxarfare was hot entirelv
de'oid of interest, and several llttle incidents occurred
to break the monotonv. The first was a big " strafe "
on the 25h of August, when for some unknown reason
the enemy shelled Stansfield Road very vigorously, and
obtained a direct hit on " C " Company Headquarters.
Lieuts. Banwcll and Edge were occup.ving the dug-out
at the time, a,nd were both shaken, though the former
as usual did hot take [o,ng to recover. Lieut. Edge,
h.owever, was sent to the Stores for a rime and for
some months acted as Transport Ot]cer. On another
occasion, 2nd Lieut. Norman was firing rifle grenades
from " Hairpin " crters, when he received one in
reply, and had to g,o to England with one or two pieces
in him.
Except for these two incidents, all other excitement
occurred in No Man's Land, where we had patrols
every n,ight in the hopes of catching a Boche. The first
to meet the enemv was _'2nd Lieut. *landy, who was
almost surrounded bv a large party of them just North
f Northern crater. He managed to fight his way out,

9,9, THE FIFTH LEICESTER.qHIRE.

though for a time he lost one of his party, I»te.
Brotheridge, who did some fighting on his own and
returned to us at dawn. After a rime, tired of finding
no one, our patrols became mo're venturesome, and
most nights entered the German lines at some point or
other. "A " and "C " Companies worked mostly
round the Hairpin craters, a.nd Lieuts. Banwell and
Russell, 2nd Lieuts. Dunlop and Norman, ail explored
the enemv's fnt line. On one occasion Capt. Petch
himself accompanied Lieut. Russell and Serjeant Toon
to look at the elaemy, and for a change found his front
line held. They were caught peering over the parapet,
and got a warm reception. Both ofiàcers were slightly
wounded and had to go to England. Meanwhile, Lieut.
Banwell took command of "A " Company. He, too,
on another occasion explored the saine piece of trench
and found it empty, n.o-r ¢oulc he attract any enemy,
though he and his party shouted, whistled and ruade
no,ises of everv description.
Border Redoubt and Rats' Creek were the hunting
gvound of " B " and " D " Companies, and here Lieuts.
Ball and Measures more than once nearly captured a
Boche post. But the enemv was oo alert, and slipped
avay alwavs down s.ome tunnel or deep dug-out. But
the best patrolling was done fl-om Russian Sap, bv 2nd
Lieut. Cole and his gang from "D " Company, in-
cluding Serjt. Burbidge, Cpl. Foster, L/Cpl. Haynes,
ltes. Thurman, Oldham and others. Thev had very
bad luck, f:or on two occasions they lav in wait for the
enemy in his own front line and he never came, though
he had occupied the post the previous night, and the
party, wet through and frozen, had to return empty
handed except for a bomb or two.

ST. ELIE LEFT. 228

There was one other unusual occurrence before we
left the St. Elie sector. We were visited one day by a
local newspaper reporter, Mr. \Vilkes of the " Leicester
Mail," wh.o carne to see us in trenches, and was intro-
duced to the tunnels and ail the " grirn horrors" of
trench warfare. It seerned curi.ous to see a civilian in
a grey suit, adorncd with a steel helrnet and box
respirator, wandering about the cornrnunication trenches.
On the 14th of Novernber, while in Brigade Support
at l'hilosophe, we were ordered to reconnoitre the
" Hill 7o " sector, wi.th a vicw to taking ove,r the line
frorn the Sherwood Foresters. The sarne day xve
rnoved to sorne particul.arly cold and uncornfortable
huts at Mazingarbe, going to the line the next night.
Our route lav alo.ng the main Lens road past Fosse III.
and Fosse VII., then bv tracks past l'rivet Castle to
Railway AIley. This endless communication trench led
all the way past the farn:o.us Loos Crucifix, still stand-
ing, to what had been the front line before the Canadian
attack. Thence various other alleys led to the front
li.ne. Our new sector was by no rneans luxurious.
There was a front line trench and portions of a reserve
line, all rather the worse for wear, while the cornrnuni-
ca.tion tre.nches, " Hurrah " and " Hurnbug " Alleys,
were unspeakably filthy. The whole area at the top
of the hill was an appalling mess of tangled rnachinery
frorn Puits 14 bis, battered trenches, the rernains of
two woods, Bois Hugo and Bois Razé, and shell holes
of every size and shape. There was rnud and wet chalk
everywhere, and a verv poor water supply for drinking
purposes. \Vhat few dug-outs existed were the usual
srnall Gerrnan front line post's funk holes, and ail faced
the wrong wav. It vas a bad place. Tl»ere was, how-

22.6 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

ever, one redeerning feature. Frorn tbe hill we could see
everything, Hulluch, XVingles, Vendin and Cité St.
Auguste lay spread out before us; we could see the
slightc.t rnoverncnt. Behind the bill, Support Com-
panies were out of sight, and those hot actuallv in the
front line could alrnost all wander about on top without
fear of being seen. Furthernaore, there were no tunnels.
We spent ail out tirne working, for tbere was much
to be docte. Out chier tamis wcre clearing out cxisting
trenches and digging new communication trenches
wbere tbey were wan,ted. Digging was boCh difficult,
f, or the ground was sodden, and dangerous on account
of the number ,of " dud " shells and bom,bs everywhere.
Two men of 'B " Cornpany were injured by the ex-
plosion of a grenade which one of thern struck with a
shovel, and the next day Captain lIoo.re had a miracu-
lous escape. Clearing the trench cmtside his Cornpany
Headquarters, at the junction iç.f " Horse " and
" Hell " Alleys, he put his pick clean through a Mills
bo'.rnb; fortunatelv it did hot explode. Padre Buck also
had a busv tirne, for there were rnanv unburied dead
still lying about. Hearing of one body s,orne sixty yards
out in No Man's Land, where it ha,d been found bv a
patrol, the l'adre went out with bis orderly, I)arby,
to bury it. It was a mistv rnorning, and thev were un-
rn,olested until suddenlv the rnist lifted and thev were
seen. Darbv was woundcd in the head, and thev were
heavilv fired on, but this did hot w,orrv the Padre, who
brought his orderlv back to out lines, and carne in
wi.thout a scratch.
X.¥e rernained onlv seven davs in this sector, and
did hot corne int,o contact xvith the enemy at all at
close quarters. A few bornbs were tbrown in the Bois

ST. ELlE LEFT. 225

Hugo trenches, and a raid by the llth Division on our
right caused a considerable amount of retaliation to
fall on out heads, but o.n the whole the enemy was
quiet, and we had practically no casualties. There was
hot rime to learn the ground xvell enough to do anv
extensive patrolfing, though Lieut. \Vatherstone earned
the 1)ivisional Commander's praise for a bold recoaa-
naissance from the Bois RazC The transport had as
bad a time as anyo.ne, bringing rations on the light
railwav through Loo.s, which was never a pleasant
spot. Once again a mule succeeded in falling into a
trench, and if took R.S.M. Lovett and a party of men
m.ore than an bout to extricate it.
The J, th Battalion took out places at the end of the
tour, and we marched back to Mazingaibe. Out
billets had been slightly improved, and Headquarters
now had a bouse in the Boulevard, commonlv called
" Snobs' Aller." \Vhile here a new horse, a large
chestnut, which arrived for the l'adre, caused c, on-
siderable commo.tion in the Regiment. First he bolted
with the l'adre half-wav from Mazingarbe to Labourse,
when he finallv pulled him up and dismounted. He
then refused to more at all, and went down on his l«aees
to l'adre Buck, xh.o as most disconcerted, especially
when the animal mo.aned as though trulv penitent. The
next dav the Adjutant tried to ride him, and once more
he bolted. This rime his career was short, for horse
and rider came down on the Mazingarbe cobbled high
fo.ad, and the Adjurant had to go to Choeques hospital
with a broken head, and was avav for a weel«
During his absence we lost Colonel Trimble, who,
much against his will, was ordered to take command
o.f his ovn Battalion, the 1st East Yorkshires. He had

-026 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

been with us for seven months, and we were ail very
f, ond of hirn and verv sorry indeed when h.e had to go.
Vforse still, there seerned n,o chance of Col. Jones
çeturning to us. For six weeks, Septernber and
Oct.ober, he had been cl.ose to us in Noeux les Mines,
attached to the 1st Battalion, and more than once had
com.e over to see us, but now the 6th Division had
moved away and we d, id not know their whereabouts.
The matter was finally settled by the arrival of a new
Comrnanding Officer in the saine car which carne to
fetch Col. Trimble. Lieut. Colonel R. V. Currin,
D.S.O., of the York and Lancaster Regirnent, had corne
to take cornrnand.

CHAI"I'ER XIII.

CAMBRIN RIIHT.

1st Dec.. 1917. 12th April, 1918.
COLONEL Currin, oor new Commandi.ng Otlcer, xxas
a South African, a large man of eno.rmous physical
strength. He at once terrified us with his language,
xxhich can onlv be described as volcanic, and won our
respect by bis wonderful fearlessness. Of this last
tbere was no question. In trenches, he would wander
about, with his hands in his pockets, often with neither
helme.t n.or gas-bag, and quite beedless of whether or
no the enemv could sec him. More than once he was
shot at, and more than once he had a narroxv escape at
the hands of some hostile sniper, but this appeared to
bave no effect on him, and after such an escape he was
just as reckless as before. He had withal a kind heart
and a great sense of humour.
A few davs before his arrival we had moved from
Mazingarbe to Drouvin and Vaud.ricourt, and here xve
were no.w warned that on the 1st December General
Thwaites would inspect the Brigade in review order.
A rehearsal was carried out in a field near Noeux les
Mines, a rehearsal so amusing in man)" ways, that the
Clonel loved to tell the storv of what he called his first
experience with the 5tb Battalion : " On approaching
the parade ground I sent forward A, who was

28 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

acting Adjutant, to find where we were to fall in. Mv
Adjurant was in Hospital as the result of falling off
horse. ,Vhen I reached the field, I saw an officer
galloping about waving his arms, but whether he was
signalling to. me, or trying to manage lais horse I could
hot tell, so sent Burnett to find out. Burnett's horse
promptly stumbled, fell and rolled on him, so I went
myself and found the lucldess A quite incapable of
managing his pony. 1 told him to dismo.unt, while
marched the Battalio,n into place, but subsequently
round he had hot done so because he couldn't!
Eventuallv the Serjeant-Maior seized him round the
waist, someone else led the pony forward, and A
was left in the Serieant-Maior's arms a.nd lowered to
the ground. Ail this in frent of the Brigade drawn up
for a ceremonial parade !" The parade itself also had
its amusing side, chieflv o«ving to the ignorance of
certain Staff Ot]ficers on matters of drill. However,
a friendly crump, arriving in the next field, put an end
to the proceedings, and we marched home.
After ail this bother the actual inspection was cancelled
and we went i»to trenches again instead. Our sector
thi.s time was Cambrin, called after the village next
North of Vermelles, ,nd the sector immediatelv on the
left of our last--St. Elle. On the morning of the 1st
of December we marched to Annequin, on the Beuvrv-
La Bassée Road, and relieved some Loyal North
Lancashires, \V,orcestershires and Portuguese in the
Brigade support positions. The Headquarters and two
Companies were in Annequin village, the other two
Companies in two groups of dug.outs, " Maison
Rouge " and " Factory," about 500 vards East of
'Cambrin. \Ve only staved here twenty-four hours and

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 229

then wen.t into the front line, " Cambrin Right " sub-
s,ector.
Cambrin Right was very like St. Elle Left with the
g.ood po.ints left out. The right Company had tunnels
but they were not sale, though just as smelly as our
old o.nes. It was the same on th.e left, xvhile in the
centre, there were deep enough tunnels, but they were
unconn,ected with anything and unlit. The front line
consisted mostly of craters, a large series of which
occupied what had once been the Hohenzollern
Redoubt. At intervals along the lips were odd posts,
each at the end of a short trench leading back into
N.orthampto.n trench or the tunnel system. The right
group of tunnels, the Savile tunnel, started half-wav up
Savile Row, a communication trench which had
originally run from the Reserve line to Northampton
trench, but now stopped at the tunnel entrance. The
centre gr.oup had no name, started from Northampton
trench, and had no propcr communication trench. The
left group was the " Quarry " tunnel system, starting
from the old quarry and running leftwards fom the
N,orthern edge of the Hohenzollern craters almost to
our posts opposite Mad Point. The left Company
had no posts actuallv o'n crater lips, though they had
one or two craters in No Man's Land. " Quarry "
Alley led to the " Çuarry " and a newlv dug trench
ran from this to Northampton near the centre tunnels,
but it was in bad conditic,n and seldom used. As a
rule, those who wished to visit the centre went through
either Savile or Quarry tunnels to get there. One other
trench led forward from the Reserve Line, Bart's Aile),
but this ended in a large pile of sandbags and one of
the Tunnelling Company's private entrances to the

230 THE FIFTH LEICESTER.'4HIRE.

mining galleries. Between the Reserve Line and
Northamplon a few ends of gas piping, s.ticking out of
the ground, showed where our 1915 front line had been,
from which we had attacked on the lSth October. The
lwo flank Cmpany Headquarters were in the tunnels,
the centre Company in a deep du,c-out in Northampton
trench. The Reserve Company, with o.ne platoon of
each of the front line Companies, l.ived in the Reserve
Line.
The Reserve Line was about the best trench in the
sector. It was deep, well traversed, and had many
good dug-outs. It also contained our cook-houses and
dumps. The light railway fvom Vermelles, on wh.ich
came rations and " R.E. material," tan along behind it,
so that Company Quartermaster S.erjeants co.uld deliver
their rations to the reserve platoon of their Company,
and there was no fear of a carrying party from another
Company " pinching " s,ome of the rum. \Vestwards
from this trench tan three communication trenches, ail
in good condition, Bart's Alley, Left Boyau and Quarry
Aile)', ail leading to th-e Vermclles bro.ad guage rail-
way line, whose hedges concealed Sussex trench. Here,
in some verv elegant, but hot verv shell-proof dug-outs,
lived Batta[ion Headquarters. The offic,ers' bedrooms,
and the Mess were on one side, the offices o.n the other.
Here, Corporal Lincoln and Pte. Allbright, the Orderlv
Ro,o,m clerks, took it in turn to look after the papers,
keep the tire alight and general- make a happy home
out of a crazv shanty with a wobblv roof and a door
facing the Boche. Manv would have preferred to go
clsewhere in case o.f shelling, but these two never left
their papers, though mre than once the roof came
perilously near being whisked off bv some xvhizz-bang.

('AMFIR 1N R1GHr. 231

Philo.»olaher James Lincoln was particularly imperturb-
able, as he sat surrounded by pipes and beautifully-
sharpened pencils, discussing the weather and the
crops with anv who chanced to pass bv.
Further down this saine trench Serjea.nt Archer and
" Buller " Çlarke looked after the bombs, hot quite
such a p,o,pular weapon nmv-a-days, and the Pioneers
under Serjeant \Vaterfield and L/Cpl. \Vakefield had
/heir home next door. Here also was Serjeant \Vilbur
and that very hard working bodv of men the Signallers,
" strafed " by evervbodv when teleph'ones went wrong,
and seldom praised durin K months and months withou/
a mishap. Then came Serjeant Major Lovett in a small
dug-out by himself, and near him Serjeant Bennett and
the Regimental Police; the latter in trenches became
general handv men, carrying ration,s, acting as gas
sentries, and doing ail the odd jobs. Round tbe corner
a large dug-out with two entrances provided the
Cantee,n with a home large enough to contain, when it
was proc.urable, a barrel or two of beer. L/Cpls.
Hubbard and Çollins and the runners lived xxherever
they could find an empty shelter, and as usual spent
most ,of their time carrying messages or showing
visitors round the lines.
There was one other trench, Railwav Allev. This,
like its namesake to " Hill 70," was of enormous
length. It started at Cmbrin, passed the Factorv and
Facto.rv Dug-o.uts, and, foll.owing the Annequin-Haisnes
Raihvav to its junction with the Vermelles Line, acted
as dividing line between the two hah'es of the Brigade
Sector. From the left Battalion Headquarters to the
front line, an often much battcred part of it, it belonged
to the left sector. Our Headq.uarters had a private

; THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

trench running to it, " Kensington \Valk," deep and
completel.v covered with brushwood by wav of
camouflage.
In the St. Elie sector we had been three months
almost without a.n incident of anv importance; we were
onlv six weeks in Cambrin, and everv tour c.ontained
some item of interest. \Ve started disastrously. On
the night after relief Lieut. \Vatherston was vis[ting
"B " Company's posts in the centre sector, when a
part.v of the enemv crept up to and suddenly rushed
the Lewis C'tin Section he had just visited. Lieut.
\Vatherston turned back, drev his revolver, and rushed
into the fight, but was himself shot through the head
and killed instantaneously. He had fired three shots
with his revolver, but was unable to stop the enem,
who, having wounded the sentrv and blown the N.C.O.
off the firestep with a bomb, now escaped, taldng the
Lewis C,un with them. The N.C.O., Cpl. \Vatts, got
up and gave chase, but tost touch with the enemv
amongst the craters, and after being nearlv killed
himself had to return empty-handed. Out predecessors
in the line seemed to h-ave made no effort to wire this
part of the line at ail, presumably thinking the line of
craters a sufticient protection. A few nights later 2nd
Lieut. Boarland reconnoitred the whole area with a
p,atrol, and round that hOt onlv had the Boche got a well-
worn track acro.ss No Man's Land betxveen two craters,
but cl.ose to the raided post had fitted up a small dug-
out with a blanket and a coat in it. This would, of
course, have been impossible had the previ,ous occupants
.of the line done anv patrolling; we suffered through
their gross negligence.
T,owards the end of the same tour, the enemv made

UAIM BR IN RIGHT. 233

another verv similar attempt against Otlr extreme right
pcs.ts beld bv "A " Company. L/Cpl. Beale and Pte.
Foster xvere with their gun on the parapet, when they
were suddenly rushed bv three or four of the enemy
,ho had crept close up to them, and were o.n top of
them belote they could open tire. L/Cpl. Beale used
his fists on a (;erman who seized him round the throat,
but xvas then shot in the chest and fell backwards on
the rest of the section who were coming to help. The
Germans tried to carry off the gun, but Foster put up
a fight, and they dropped it just outside the trench.
Hoxvever, one of thcm managed to knock Foster on the
head, and, before help Cotlld arrive, he was carried off
as a prisoner. Once again we suffered through the
carelessness of our predecessors, for in this case, too,
there was no protective barbed wire. \Ve spent everv
night of the tour wiring hard, but could not of course
finish the whole sector in rive davs.
The tour also contained a verv severe Artillery and
Trench Mortar bombardment, which seriously damaged
our left and centre trenches. But more serious than
this was the loss to "B " Çompany of L/Cpl. J. T.
Pawlett, one of the best Lewis Gun N.C.O.'s in the
Battalion, who was mortally wounded during the
shelling. A few days later xve lost another excellent
Lewis Gun N.Ç.O., L/Cpl. Stredder, of "D " Com-
pany, who went to England wounded, fortunatelv hot
verv seriouslv.
The tour ended on the 8th, and for the next six davs
we remained in Brigade Support, Annequin, Maison
Rouge, and Factorv Dtlg-Outs. Even here we were
not left in peace, for on two occasions the enemy
opened verv heaw" bombardments against the Cambrin

34, THE F1FTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

sector. The second occasion, the night of the 12th/13th
of December, this was so terrific, and so much gas
was used, that we had toi " stand to" at midnight,
wbile manv messages, " Poison Cambrin " etc., were
flying about. The damage to trenches, and more par-
ticularly to the tunnels, caused by this bombardment
was verv great, as we soon learnt when, two nights
later, we returned to the line. Savilc tunnel was blown
in in several places, and the Company Headquarters
compltqely eut off and unusable. The tunnel entrances
were shattered, and the whole system so badlv damaged
as to be alnaost useless except as dug-outs for the
various posts. Quarry tunnel was hot so badlv
damaged, but several of the left posts had been isolted
bv h.aving the main connecting tunnel blown in behind
them. Fortunatelv the front line trench on the left was
still in existence, and could be used instead of the
tunnels. Finally, Northampton trench was literally
obliterated in the centre, and a famous " island "
traverse, no small earth-work, so completely wiped out
that we could never afterwards di.cover its exact
whereb.outs.
Once mre we had bad luck at the start of the tour,
for we had only been a few ho.urs in the line when a
shell on Quarry Allev caught a small party of men
coming down. Signaller Newton and Stretcher Bearer
C.ooke were killed outright, and Serjeant \,Voolley,
acting Serjeant Signaller while Serjent \Vilbur xvas
away, was wounded and had to go t.o Hospital. In
addition to the wiring we now had the tunnels to dig
out, and there was so much work to do that we had to
bave assls.tance from Brigade; this took the form
a Brigade Viring Platoon and a Company of Mon-

('AMBRIN RIGHT.

mouthshires. On one occasion these two parties, both
of course wo,rking " on top," saxv fit to imagine each
other were Bocbe, and a small fight ensued. For-
tunatelv no one was injured, though one of the Mon-
mouthshires was only saved from a bullet through the
head bv his steel helmet.
The re.st o.f the tour passed off quickly, a.nd the irre-
pressible Capt. Bro,oke and 2nd Lieut. Cole of "D "
Company started once more wandering about No Man's
Land and the enemv's lines. Thev did the most in-
credible things, and gained invaluable information about
the enemy, tbo.ugh awkward ques.tions were cften asked
about the naine of the " one otber tank " who, accord-
ing to the patrol reports, accompanied 2nd Lieut. Cole
o.n these expeditics.
Out Ch,ristmas " rest " was spe-nt in Beuvry, and
here we arrived cn the 20rb of December at the end of
out second tour. Out first dutv was to inspect a large
draft of 140 N.C.O.'s and men who had corne to us
while we had been in the line. Most of tbem came
from the l lth (Pioneer) Battalion of the Regiment, and
were men of good physique, verv well trained, and
excellent alike at drill, work, gaines, and in the line.
During the xhole rime we were in France we never
had a better draft than this. Meanwhile, although the
enemv were apparently willing to allow us a Christmas
rest, and kindlv refrained from bombarding our billets,
OEhe higher command were hot so gra.cious, and we had
much work to do. Ever since the defection of Russia,
the Staff had realized the possib,ility of a German
offensive on a large scale, and every effort was being
ruade to organize out defences. Vrith this object, a
new " village line " had been built, includlng Cambrin,

236 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Annequin, Vermelles and other villages, and this had
now to be wired. Accordingly, on the night of the
22nd/23rd December, the whole Battalio.n m,arched up
to this line bv parties, and worked hard for several
hurs putting out a " double apro.n fence." So well
had Maior Zeller and lais Engineers organized the work,
and so well did the Battalion work, mainly thanks to
the nevly arrived Pioneers who vere experts, that we
did an incredible amount during the night, and received
the congratulations of the G.O.C. on our efforts.
The actual Christmas festivities had to be held
Christmas Eve, as we were due to go into trenches
on the mcrning of Boxing Dav. Everytbing combined
to make the day a great success. Plum puddings
arrived from England, large pigs, wbich Maior Burnett
had been leading about on a string for so.me days, were
turned into the most delicious pork, and there was
plenty of beer. The Serieants' Mess also had a very
lively din.ner in the evening, though one Company
Quarter Master Serjeant spent mucb of his time
dragging the Beuvrv river for his Co.mpany Serjeant
Major whom he had 1,os,t. This Varrant Officer was
eventuallv discovered asleep in an old sentrv box, with
bis false teeth clenched in his hand. The Germans,
in spite of tbeir boast, dr.oçped in a message from an
aeroplane, " to eat their Christmas dinners in
Béthune," caused no disturbance, and did not show the
slightest sign of being offensive. Christmas, 1917, was
unique in one respect. Ve produced a Battalion
Christmas Card for tbe first and last time during tbe
war. It contained a picture, drawn by -'2nd Lieut.
Shilton, o.f a big-footed Englishma.n standing on a
slag-heap, from which a Hun xvas flying as though
kicked. It was very popular.

CAMBRIN RIGHT. ]7

Boxing Da3- , for us " Relief Day," vas bitterly cold,
and an occasional blizzard made getting into trenches
ail the more difficult. The ground was covered with
snow, and each night there was a bright moon, so that
the snipers of both sides were on the watch day and
night for the slightest movcment. Out snipers claimed
to hit several of the enemy during the tour, but we,
too, had out losses. First, F. Eastwood, M.M., of
"C " Company, a soldier who had scarcelv missed a
day si.nce the beginning, was shot through the head
and killed outside "C " Company Headquarters in
Northampton trench. A few nights later, on the 30th
December, Lieut. P. bleasures., commanding "B "
Company, was sniped while fixing a sniper's post in
the front line, and also killed instantly. He had not
been wi.th us verv long, but bo.th he and Lieut.
rVVatherston had proved themselves very keen subaltern
officers, and both had been praised by the General for
their work on patrol. Lieut. T. H. Ball temporarily
t.ook oommand of " B " Company.
XYhenever work was possible--it was often too light
even at night--we worked at two new trenches,
"Cardiff" and " Currin," connecting Bart's Alley
with Savile tunnel, as an alternative to Savile Row.
These had been dug by the Monmouthshires, and now
had to be wi'red, and here, also, we suffered at the
hands of a German sniper. Serjeant V. E. Cave, a
very fine N.C.O. of "A " Company, was killed with
a wiring party, and one or two others had narrow
escapes. The New Year, 1918, was ushered in with
several bursts of machine gun tire at midnight, but
ncthing of importance occurred.
Our stay at Annequin was once again disturbed,

238 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

this time more disastrously than before. A curious
accident occurred on the 6th of January, when three of
our aeroplanes collided and fell near the village. The
enemy as usual opened tire at once with one or two
batteries, and an unlucky shell fell amo.ngst our
Headquarter runners as they were leaving their billet.
The two Gorporals escaped, Collins wih a slight wound
and Hubbard untouched, but \V. Raven, M.M., xvas
killed outright, and A. Grogan, D.C.M., F. Smith,
tt. Eady, and H. Kirbv, so badly wounded that they
died soo.n afterwards. It is impossible to estimate the
amount of work tbat these runners had donc for the
Battalion, not onlv as message carriers, but somê of
them as personal orderlies to the C.O. and other
Headquarter Officers. In Lens they bad proved them-
selvês hot onlv capable of wonderful endurance, but
o be possessed of the greatest courage, fearing neither
thê enemv bimself nor his barrages. To lose so manv
at onê blow was indeed a sevêre loss for the Battalion.
After this, tbere followêd two comparatively quiet
tours in trenches with tbe usual six davs at Beuvrv in
bêtwêên thêm. Thê enemv's snipêrs wêre mastêred,
and we suffered no more casualties at their hands, but
our bad luck still pursued us, and o.n the 10th and llth
January the left of the Reserve Line was badlv battered
by trench mortars. The left hall Battalion cook-house
vas blo«vn in, and Serjeant Growdridgê of " D " Com-
pany was killed, wbile several others vere wounded.
In Serjeant Groxvdridge, "D " Company lost a most
capable platoo.n Serjeant, tbe leader of manv a daring
and succêssful patrol, and of thê highêst courage in
battle. On the 20th of January we were relieved by
the llth Division, and, aftêr spending onê night in

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 219

Beuvry, marched through Béthune to Busnettes, be-
tween Ch,ocques and Lillers, for a l.o.ng test.
.Ve stayed at Busn.ettes f.o,r three weeks, training and
playing gaines, and doi.ng our best to recover from the
iii effects of tunnels and wet trenches. Out training
:as carried out on various areas round Chocques and
Allouagne, and near the latter vas a good rifle range,
over which we practised for the Asso.ciated Rifle
Association (A.R.A.) Competitl,on. Thi.s competition
was for a plat.oon, and included rifle and Lewis gun
shooting and bavonet fighting, tire discipline and
co,ntvol, and the general principles of the advance. The
plato,on had to tire at various ranges, advancing from
one to the other, and bayoneting sacks on the way.
There were Battalion, Brigade, and Divisional Com-
petitions, and to the Divisional wi.nners the A.R.A.
were to present silver medals. In the Battalion com-
petition, No. 1 l'latoo.n of "A " Company, under 2nd
Lieut. Roberts and Serjeant H. Beardsmore, was
victorious, but the other competitias could hot be
held until February, after out next move. Fi.nally, this
saine plao..o,n, beating the other Battalions in the
Brigade, beat also the Staffordshires' and Sherwood
Fresters' best platoons, and carried off the silver
medals.
At this time there vere several important changes in
the Battalion. First, we were very gtad indeed to see
Captains "Fomson and Petch back again with us, the
former to comm.and " B," the latter to " A " Company.
At the saine time, Capt. Barrowcliffe returned to the
Royal Engi.neers. Lieuts. C. S. Alle.n and R. .V. Edge
went to Engtand for six months, and 2nd Lieut. Todd
becane Transport Officer. \e also received a large

0 THE F1FTH LEICESTERSHIRE-

draft from the 2nd/Sth Battalion. Finding that it vas
impossible to obtain sulïicient recruits to supply all
the Battalions formed at the begi.nning of the war, each
Brigade was now reduced to three Battalions, and we
lost from out Brigade the 4th Lincolnshires. In the
59th Divis,i.on, the 2nd/Sth Leicestershres were broken
up and divided into drafts for th.e 4th Battalion and
ourselves. Capts. J. A. Ball and XV. H. Oliver, Lieuts.
S. G. H. Steel and A. D. Pierrepont, 2nd Lieuts. A. B.
Bedford, H. Coxell, K. Ashdowne, and, later, A. E.
Hawley and Everett came to. us, bringing vith them
:200 N.C.O.'s and men. Amongst the latter were
several Serjeants, one of them, Serjeant T. Marston,
M.M., destined to add further laurels to the honours
he had already xvon xx'ith the 2nd/Sth. There were also
several " old hands " who returned to us, amongst
them, Privates Garfield and Law of "D " Company,
both original members of the 191-t Battalion. These
reinforcements enabled us to form again fo.ur platoons
per Company, and we became once more a full
Battalion.
P, nother batch of reinforcements, which arrived at
Busnettes, co.ntained several drummers of the 1st and
:$rd Battalions. We alreadv had a few, and L/Cpl.
Perry was given the rank of Serjeant Drummer and
formed a Corps of Drums. Vith Drummer Price,
an expert of many years' service with the side drum,
and L/Cpl. Tyers, an old bandsman, to help him, he
soon produced an excellent Corps, and all of them
xvorked hard and keenly to make a good show. XVithin
a week they played us on route marches and appeared
at guard-mounting. Vithin two months they played
at lles's, and the Files gave several very good concerts.

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 9,41

Vhile in the Busnettes area, xve xvere in Reserve for
the 1st Army, and in case of atta.ck were liable to be
sent to support the Portuguese on the Neuve Chapelle-
La Bassée front. In case of this, the C.O. and Adjutant
spent a dav reconn,otering the Lo¢on, le Hamel, le
Touret area and its keeps and strcmg points, many of
wbicb we aftcrwards occupied when the Portuguese had
been driven out.
On the 8th of February, we moved to Fiefs through
Lillers, and the folloxving day marched to Reclingbem
in the Bomy training area. The match took the form
of a tactical field day, and we ended by taking up an
outpost positio.n on the river Lys at Reclinghem, where
" B" and "D" Companies and Headquarters xvere
billeted. The other tw.o Companies were at Vincly,
a little more than a mlle further South. A fortnight
later, to the great regret of ail ranks, Clonel Currin
had to leave us, after being only three months in
command. During this rime we had become verv fond
of him, and there is no doubt that his never-failing
cheerfulness, his reckless courage, and the atmosphere
of "the fighti.ng spirit " which alwavs accompanied
him, did more than anything else co.uld have do,ne to
raise out " fighting spirit" to a high pitch. His
successor, Lieut. Col. G. B. G. \V.ood, D.S.O., of the
Lancashire Fusiliers, had commanded the 2nd/Sth
Battalion until he was xvoJnded, and now, returning
to France, xvas sent to us as his Battalio had been
broken up.
Towards the end of February, the Staff became more
tba.n ever convlnced tbat the enemv intended making
a big spring offensive, and out training was devoted
almost entirely to counter-attack practice and tbe re-

'],t2 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

taking a line of tronches which had bee.n temprarily
lost. \Ve had several large field days near Bomy, witl
this as the general idea, and would bave had several
more had hot the Division been suddenly recalled to
the line. On the 1st March, in a show storm, we
marched to Ligny-les-Aire, and the next dav moved ort
again to Ecquedecques, where we stayed three days.
Our billets were fairlv comfortable, but there were very
few for the ofl]cers; this, however, was soon righted
after the first night, when we discovered many oflïcers'
billets occupied by Serjcants of an A.S.C. Company
who were pcrmanent" garrison " of the village.
On the 5th of l\Iarch we marched through Lillers and
Béthune again to Beuvry and, after staying one night
there, moved the folLowing day t.o Annequin and Sailly
Labourse, where we were responsible for the defence of
the Annequin locality. The 1st Corps scheme of defence
was a series of fortified localities, Ph.ilosophe, Cambrin,
Annequi.n, Noyelles, and manv others f.urther \Vest as
far as Vaudricourt. Each loÇaity had its trenches,
dug-outs, stores of ammunition and rations, and was
ready for defence at an 3 , moment. The German
offensive was expected to start any day, and the
"' wind " was tcrriblv " up." This, however, did not
prevent the lnfantrv from amusing themselves when-
ever po.ssible, and though the higher authorities may
have been sleeping in their boots, we managed to get
some foo,tball. General Rowlev gave a cup for a
Brigade Compan.v Competition, and, while at Sailly, out
'" A " Company beat Brigade Headquarters in the
" final," after which " Tinker " Evans, the captain of
the team, received the cup from the Brigadier.
The folcaving morning we went once more to the

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 243

line, back into the familiar Cambrin right sector.
Unfortunatelv there was now a change. The En-
gineers, in an endeavour to make Headquarters less
elegant and more shell-proof, had thrown up so much
white chalk, that they had attracted the attention of
the German artillcry, who had prcmptly shelled the
place out of existence. The Headquarters ncw lived in
the old left Headquarters under Railway Alley. \Ve
had only two Companies in the line, one in support,
and one in Reserve near the Factory; we were thus
orgnized " in depth " to meet the coming offensive.
The enemy's artillery had certaiaqly become more
active during out two months' absence, and he was
lOW using far more gas shells than lefore. These
were cf three sorts : " Green Cross," the me)st deadly,
was filled with phosgene; " Blue Cross," the least
harmful, with arse»ic both these were verv llght
gases and soon blew awav. Far more dangerous were
the " Velto,w Cross," mustard sheIls, wh.ich now ruade
their appearance in ever incrcas.ing numbers. The
mustard hung round the shell h)les and was not blown
awav; in cold weather it had no effect, but as sooa
as the sun came o.ut it became exceedingly poxverful.
A mustard shell falling on frozen snow might bave no
effect until the thaw came several weeks later, when
it w.ould be just as powerful as f .it had oaly just been
fired. A very little of this gas was suftïcient to cause
temporary blindne.ss and loss of vo,ice, burns and bad
blisters. Much of it was fatal. During this tour,
however, we did not surfer anv casualties, and rmthing
of any importance occurred until out last morning
before relief, the 16th of 5Iarch.
At about 1-0 a.m. on this moming, Privates Culpecl¢

24, THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

and Jobnson were sentries together atone of " I) " Com-
pany's Levais gun posts. Hearing a noise in the ire,
one of them challenged, and, receiving no answer, fired
his Lewis gun. Two minutes later, two Boche, one an
unwounded warrant olcer, the other a wounded soldier,
were being escorted down Railwav Alley to Head-
quarters. Neither of the two prisoners would say
much, but what they did say still further confirmed the
opinion of the Staff that the attack was soon coming.
" Brigade Support " now consisted of the Head-
quarters and two Companies in Sailly Labourse, the
remainder at \Vindy Corner near Factory Dug-*0uts.
To this last area wen.t llajor Griffiths and the Right
Half Battalion. They had an unpleasant rime and were
more than once heavily shelled, on one oc.caMon having
a narrow escape. The ocers were sitting in a dug-
out when an armour piercing field gun shell passed
through the roof and out of the door, hurting no one.
Major Griffiths and 2nd Lieut. Dunlop received slight
scratches, as also did Adams, one of the barmen, but
no serious damage was dot»e. After four days of this,
the 5th Lincolnshires relieved us, and we marched to
Beuvry to be in Divisional Reserve. Vhile here, the
new Battalion di»tingui.shing marks arrived from
England, and were taken into use--a half-inch yellow
ring, two in.chcs in diamcter--worn just under the
shoulder on the sleeve. They were rather bright at
first, and earned us the naine (amongst other ruder
epithets) of the " Corn-plasters."
On arrival at Beuvry we were told that the Major
General would inspect us at Fouquières txvo days later,
the 22nd o.f March. This was considerably more
alarm.ing than the pro,spect of the German offensive,

CAMBR1N R1GHT. 24:

and we at once started training, cleani.ng equipment,
and revising our platoon organisation. Meanwhile,
the offensive did begin in the South, and the Boche on
the morning o.f the 22nd actuallv launched a big raid
against the 1)ivisional front. However, the Inspection
was hot postponed, as xe had hoped, and for several
hours we performed at Fouquières. Our ceremonial
was bv no means bad, considering we had d,one none
for months it was very go,od, but what most pleased
General Thwaites was out organization. In vain he
tried to find mistakes. Soldier af ter soldier xvas asked
" "Vho is your Section Commander? .... "Vho takes
charge if he is killed? .... XVhen will it be your turn
to take charge?" etc. etc., and soldier after soldier
answered promptly and correctlv. The result was a
good word for all of us, and we went back to billets
much relieved and feeling quite elated.
Meanwhile, the morning's raid had left a prisoner in
out hands, and he had now caused about as much
sensation as one man could, bv stating quite definitelv
that the Boche would attack from the la Bassée Canal
to " Hill 70" on the 25th of Match with t_hrce
lJivisio.ns. "Ve went int<) the Cambrin sector again on
the 24th, this time with three Cmpanies in the line.
News of the disaster to the 5th Army in the South had
reached us, and what with Generals coming round to
pay farewell visits, and conferences everv few hours,
everything was as depressing as possible. Curiouslv
enough we were hot depressed, and, th,oagh most of us
regarded the attack as a certainty, the private soldiers
were particularly more cheerful than usual. Late at
night we were ordered to withdraw ail except the tunnel
sentries from the front line, so as to minimise the

4Ô THE F1FTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

casualties during the enemv's preliminary bombard-
ment, and to concentrate everything on the defence of
the Reserve Line, which must be held at ail costs, °
S.o.me of the N.C.O.'s and men grumbled a little at
what they called giving up the front line, more
especially as patrols reportcd that the enemv was busv
strenKthening his wire, which did not secm the prelude
to an attack. Finally, bv 2-0 a.m. on the 25th all
was readv. The Staff at Corps Headquarters, ten
toiles back, slept in their boots, all support and reserve
Battalions moved to " battle " pos,itions and sl0od to,
xve in the line behaved very much as usual. All waited
for dawn.
Dawn came at last--the quietest si.nce war began, hot
a shot was fired. Morning followed and high noon, still
no m,ovement; the Staff breathed a sigh o,f relief, the
Infantrv groused, and we occupied our front line,
preparing to passa normal night. However, this was
hot to be. We had scarcelv posted out night sentries
when at 8-30 p.m. came another message to say that the
pris,oner who had originally caused the alarm had
remembered that the attack was for the 6th, hot the
-°Sth. AI1 precautions were tobe taken as for the
previous night. \Vith this arrived a long epistle from
the Intelligence department, showing that various new
dumps and camouflaged screens had been seen in the
German tnes, m:otor transport had been increased,
etc. etc. etc.--all tending to confirm their wretched
prisoner's statement. Once more we evacuated our
fon.t line, once more we waited and once more we were
disappointed. The °6th was as quiet as the _°Sth, and,
except for a humorous telephone messaKe fron " C "
Company, which caused much laughter as far back as

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 247

Divisional Headquarters, there u as nothing to disturb
the morning's peace.
The following evening the l lth Division took over
out sector, and ve marched out--the Headquarters and
Left Hall Battalion to Sailly, Right Hall to Labourse.
It vas a cold and rather miserable night, for, owing
to a sudden more of our Q.M. Stores to Noeux les
Mines, we had no blankets. Meanwhile, ail schools and
classes were closed, and those students who had not
been taken to stop the German advance on Amiens
returned to us. The situation was serious, and another
blow was expected at any moment in the neighbour-
hood of Virer. The Canadian Corps was chosen to
oppose this, and ve were consequently ordered to
relieve anv un,its ,o,f that Corps still left on " Hill 70."
But on the Sth March before relief had started the
expected attack came--at Oppy. It was a miserable
failure, we lost a few front line trenches, but our line
stood firm; however, the Canadians were wanted in a
hurrv and we were sent up to relieve them at once.
The other Battalions went into the front line, we
relieved the 46th Canadans in suppo round Loos
Crassier and Raihvav Aller. Relief was complete bv
10-35 p.m., an almost incredible performance, con-
sidering that there had been no time for reconnaissance
and practically no arrangements made for guides.
It had rained hard throughout the relief, but our first
two davs in the line were drv and warm, and we
managed to drv our clothîng and make ourselves fairlv
eomfortable. The enemv after the failure at Oppy was
verv quiet on our front, though his documents cap-
tured in that battle showed that, had he succeeded in
his first dav's attempt, the second dav vas to include

24-8 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

an ttack on the Hulluch front. So the " state of
readines-s " in the Cambrin sector had ncrt been
entircly without justification. On the 31st the weather
broke again, but this did hot prevent the Padre holding
his Easter services at each of the Company Head-
quarters. The following evening we relieved the 5th
Lincolnshires in the " Hill 70 "' right sub-sector.
Our new scctor was verv much the saine as the " Hill
70 left," which we had held in November. The
rcserve line was the main line of defence, and was in
fairly gocrd condition; the front line was shallow, wet,
and dangerous. Opposite our right and centre was
Cité St. Auguste, strongly held by the eremy; opposite
the left, Bois " Dixhuit " and a broken down farm.
q'here was ont tunnel, " Hythe," leading from the
reserve line to a railwav cutting in the front line, but
except in cases of extreme emergency this was hot
intended I?o. be used bv the Infantrv. Battalion Head-
quarters occupied a small and evil smelling German
dug-out oa the reverse slope of the bill. Our tour
lasted eight days, and alm.ost everv hour v«as eventful.
\Ve started the tour with a gas bombardment soon
after relief on "C " Company's support platoon, who
occupi.ed an old " pill-box " near Cité St. Pierre
dynamite magazine. The gas appliances were defective
at the dug-out entrance, and several men were slightly
gassed. At 8-0 a.m. the following molqfing, the 11th
Division on our left carried out a very successful raid.
This did n.ot in itself affect us verv much, but a bornb-
dropping aeronaut during the raid observed large bodies
of troops massing near Meurchin, a large toron behind
Hulluch. Immediatelv the old alarm about a coming
attack was reneved, and we once more were ordered

CAMBRIN R1GHT. 29

tobe i. readiness. However, by evening as nothing
had happened, we resumed normal co.nditions.
This saine evening we were giv.en an entirely new
scheme of defence, consequent upon the failure of our
trench system to stop the enemy's advance in the
South. The front line was to be held bv isolated obser-
vation po.sts only, and there was to be no garrison
within effective trench mortar range of the encmv. We
were to consider the Reserve or " Red " Line the line
of defence, and this must be rebuilt if necessary, to
ensure that it was everywhere out of reach of the
enemv's minenwerfer. Our chier difficultv was to find
accommdati.on for the front line troo.ps as they were
withdrawn ; h,oavever, we cleared out old dug-outs, and,
after a few days of terribly hard work, xvere able to
comply with the order.
Meanxvhile, the enemy's artillery became very active,
and in addition t,o frequent gas bombardments of Loos
and the Crass.i.er, he harassed our tra.nsport verv badlv
as they came along the main road. Some of this gas
blew back over out lines, and for several hours we
lived in an atmosphere of gas, scarcelv noticeable,
but none the less dangerous.
The 5th o,f April was particularly n.oisv. At 3-0 a.m.
we discharged a large number of gas proiectors on to
Bois " Dixhuit" and Cité St. Auguste, to which the
enemv replied by shelling our reserve line, fortunately
doing no damage. In the evening, however, he replied
in earnest, and, just after "C " Company had relieved
" B " in the front line, he put down a " box barrage "
round their posts. Coloured lights were fired in all
directions, the noise was terrific, and Captain Moore,
expecting a raid, sent the " S.O.S." This was promptly

-'2;50 THE FIFTH LEICETERSHIRE.

answered, and within a few min.utes the gunners were
hammering away vigorously at the enemy's lines, until
he stopped shooting. Our front line was damaged in
nmny places, but by extraordinary good fortune we
escaped without a casualtv, l)uring the day, hoxvever,
"A " Company lost another verv good N.C.O. in
Serjeant Putt, wh,o was wounded and had to go to
H,o,spital.
Throughout the 6th the shelling o.f Loos continued,
and the follo«ving morning, in retaliatio.n to a heavy gas
projccti.on on our part, the enemy turned his attention
again to out front line. This rime xve were less
fortunate, and a Lew.is gun post of "D " Company
was wiped out by a direct hit: tvo of the gunners,
C. H. Pavne and T. 17 . Hardy, were killed. In the
eveninff, in spite o.f a slight 'Vest wind, the enemy
po.ured blue cr, o.ss gas shells into Loo,s, and much of
the gas again drifted back across the lines. During"
tl»e night, Lieut. Banwell, exploring the enemv's lines,
si.ngle-handed ran into three of the enemy, who xvere
almost on top of him befo.re he could use his xveapons.
However, he managed to make his way out, and re-
turn.ed to our lines, having lost nothing worse than a
little breath.
On the 8th of April, the enemv's artillery was never
silent. Mustard gas was fired into the plain East of
Vermelles and Philosophe almost without intermission,
while Mazingarbe and Les brebis xvere similarlv bom-
barded, only with larger shells. 2nd Lieut. Todd and
Serjeant Veabsley xvere bo,th gassed with the transport,
the latter s,o bad;l'v that he was severM weeks in
Hospital. The foloving morning in a thick mist the
enemv attacked the Portuguese and drove them fro.m

CAMBRIN RIGHT. 51

their trenc,hes, pus,hing his advance \Ves.twards to«vards
Estaires and Locon. The mustard gas bombardment
of the plain still co.ntinued, but the feo.nt lines were
comparativdy quiet. That nig'ht we were relieved by
the 4th Battalion, and went once more into Brigade
support. After relief, Capt. A. G. Moore, M.C., and
forty-three other ranks were sent to Hospital with gas
poiso,ning. This was not due to any one bombardment,
but Io the fact that for the past week " Hill 70 " had
hardh" ever been entireh" free from gas, and though
never ira verv large quantities this ha.d gradually taken
cilect. Capt. Moore was sent to E.ngland, where for
some months he was serioush" ill with gas poisoning,
and never returned. He and Capt. Shields commanded
Companies longer than any other officers in the
Battalion. No amount of tedious trench warfare could
shake their enthusiasm or damp their spirits, " sort
jobs " and six months' test were not for them; they
simply stayed with their Companies until wounds took
them to England--a really magnificent record.
For three davs ve remained in support, and the whole
time the plain behind us was full of gas. The Artillerv
suffered mcst heavily, for they could not always wear
their masks, and after the first 24 hours there was a
continuous stream of blinded gunners helping each other
back along the road to Philosophea terrible sight.
\Ve too had several casualties, for the platoons, on
their way to bath at Les brebis, had to pas.s aceoss the
plain. At Philosophe we lost two mules, through a
direct hi.t with a heavv shell, and the driver, H. Gamble,
was very lucky to escape with no.thing more than a bad
ound. It was a miracle he was n.ot killed. On the
12th the battle became quieter, and that night, relieved

2,5 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

bv the Canadians, who arrived verv late owing to a
railway accident, we marched out to Bracquemont.
BelSore we went the Germans to the North had advanced
so far that we could sec their lights in out left rear.
Bdhune, too, was in flames, so we we,re no.t sorry to be
leaving the sector. Most thankful of ail xvere the
transport drivers, for there are n.ot many worse places
than the boos road, and fexv more desolate spots than
Philosophe coal mine on a dark xvet night, vhen the
wind is making the loose sheets o,f iron rattle, and the
horses bave " got the wind up."

CHAPTER XIV.

GORRE ANI) ESSARS AT PEACE.

lth April, 1918. 10th Aug., 1918.
BRACÇUEMONT was sadly changed. Instead of the
gay, almost fashionable suburb of Noeux les Mines,
with numbers of people in the streets, it was now a
wilderness of empty houses; the onlv sign of lire, the
piteous little groups of women a«ad children waiting by
the roadside for some French car to corne and take them
to a place of safetv. The miners al.che remained.
Inspired by Clemenceau, who had visited the place a
dav or two before, they were w, orking day and night,
regardless of bo.mbardments and nightly bombing raids.
The furnaces at the Noeux Mines could be seen for
toiles round, and were a constant mark for every
German gun and aeroplane, but still the plucky miners
carried on their work, kno.wing that on th.em alone
depended the coal supply- of France. X.Ve were
billeted in the Convent frmerlv occupied b_ the
Casualtv Clearing Station. The following morning the
Drums gave a short concert in the Bandstand, and after
dinner we were taken bv lorries to Hersiaa Coupigny.
Hersin Coupigny was still fairly thicklv populated,
but the news from the *Ierville and Kemmel area where
the enemv seemed to be making good progress, together
with the arrival each evening of a few high-velocity

2,54 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

shells, were fast driving the inhabitants to seek safetv
further ,Vest. V.e remained bere until the 24tb of
April, tbe first few days in huts, the remainder in the
Tile Faclorv. It was hot an enjoyable test--in fact
it was no res.t at ail. Ail ranks were rcady to more at
short notice, and one expected almost hourly to be sent
forward to fill some new gap in tbe line.
Pamphlets poured in--" How to fo.rtify farmhouses
for dolente "--" N,otes on reccnt German offensives "
--Pl, ans .of rear defences. Generals ruade speecbes
telling tbe troops to be brave, artillery officers recon-
n.oitred new gun positions mlles behind the lines, and
the entire Labour Corps seemed to be digging " last
ditches." It was all very depressing, and many men
were beard to remark that they wisbed the Bocbe xvould
attack, so tbat tbere might be an end of words, and a
chance for a few deeds. No one doubted that tbe
Division was pcrfectly capable of loi&ag after itself and
dealing with any German attack.
"lqhen came Influenza, and xvitb it tbe end of ail chance
,f immediate action for the Battalion. Oflàcers and men
were attacked alike, and in a few davs more than 250
were sent to Hospital. Fortunately a temporary place
was fitted up at Bruay, and tbe majority" of cases were
dealt witb there and hot sent do«vn tbe line, where they
would have been i'rre.trievablv lost. The cause of tbe
complaint will be for ever a mystery; les symptoms were
temperature--weakness, fainting and I,oss of voice.
Some blamed tbe gas, others tbe buts, and others tbe
Bracquemont bospital buildings. The Medical Officer,
wise man, would give no opinion. Tbe veather was damp
and raw and at times very oold. Cons,equently no one was
verv sorrv when, on tbe 24th, the Brigade marched to

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 55

Bruav. The Battalion and a 9 tt high velocity German
shell arrived in Bruay abo.ut the saine time and found
he place deserted. Several houses had been hit, and
he inhabitants had visely decided to take no risks, so,
xvith thc exception of the colliers, had all gone. This
made billeting very ditiàcult. Buildings were all locked
up and o one had the key. Eventually everybody
was squashed into the Girls' Scho,ol--the offic.ers
occupied one of the dormitories, and, thugh uncom-
fortable, ail had at least shelter from the tain which fell
in torrents. At intervals a tremendous rcar followed
by a crash annçunced the arrival of what became kncwn
as " another toute suiter "; fo.rtunately no one 'as
hurt. The following dav the Brigade m,ored into
F.ouquières ; the 4th Battalion occtlpied the old Hospital
huts, and xve shared the remainder of the village with
the 5th Lincolnshire Rcgimcnt. Battalion Headquarters
were in the Chateau, still occupied bv the txvo ladies,
n,oxv the onlv civilians left in the village. With the
most xvonderfullv cheerful cç.urage did these two remain,
th,ugh their servants had gone, tlough food was almçst
unobtainable, and thou.h there was seldom an hour
xvithut a shell falling in sçme part of the village or
its surrçundings. The Battaliçn was exceedingly luckv
and escaped xvith practically no casualties; not so the
4th Battalion, which lost several men in the huts.
Most of the influenza cases now returned, and we were
once mçre strç«g enugh to take the field. O.n the
26th we lost Captain and Quarterm.aster A. A. \Vorley
xvho went tç England never to return. For some time
h'is health had been bad, but th,c>ugîh unfit fçr dutv he
had efused to leave the Battalion until he had seen the
-stores pr.operly organized for battle. Except for a

25B THE FIFTH LEICESTERSttlRE.

s.hort stay in England in 1917, he had been with us
since the beginning. His one th,ought was alvays for
the velfare of the Battalion, and no one ever gave more
devoted ser'ice than he did. His place was taken in
June by Captain and Quartermaster \v. A. Nicholson,
of the Es.sex Regim.ent. During the interval the duties
were verv ablv carried out bv R.Q.M.S. Gorse.
On the 24th of April the Shervood Foresters and
Staffords had taken over the lin-e from Route "A "
Keep to the Canal just South of Locon. Four davs
Inter we were ordered to relieve the Sherwood oresters
in the right hall of the left sector. Various recon-
n, oitering parties went up beforehand, and at dusk we
moved off by platoons through Béthune and Essars.
The f,ormer town had already suffered very badly. All
ronds through the centre vere completely blocked, and
troops had t,o find their way round its Western edge
and past the Prison. Civilians had ail been evacuated
and the onlv permanent occupants were the Tunnelling
Company assisted bv some French colliers. The route
to trenches was the mai.n rond through Essars, and
parts of this were constantly "harassed" by the
enemv's artillerv. The Battallon was particularly
unfortunate on this first relief. Headquarter Oflïcers
were riding, and, in passing the column, had ]ust corne
level with the head of " C " Company, when the enemy
suddenlv opened tire on the rond with a field batter'.
Captain Banwell was thrown from his horse which was
hit, and the remainder of the chargers immediately
bolted across a field. The plunging a.nimals and the
shells (about 50 of which were fired in two minutes)
threw the leading platoon of "C " Company into
confusion, and, as the ditch at the side of the rond gave

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE.

no cover, the casualties were high; but for the coolness
of the Platoon Commander, 2nd Lieut. H. Coxêll, thêy
would bave bêên highêr still. Thê rêar platooia of
" B " Company also suffêred heavilv. Th,e shells wêrê
gas, and thosê men wh.o werê hit had small or no chance
of putting on their masks. Captain Jack, thê Mêdical
Oflicer, xx'as as usual wondêrfully calm, and quite
rêgardless of his own pêrsonal safety, succeeded in
getting several men under thê wall of a ho.use, whêre
he was able to drêss their wounds. Thê remainder of
the relief was carried out xxithout ntolestation.
Our new sêctor was vêry different from anything" wê
had previously sêên. The front linêkpractica[ly the
outpost line--markêd thê limit of thê German offensive
in April ; on the rig-ht xvas Route " A " Keep, onê of the
old 1915 stronK points with two concrete machine-gun
emplacements. It was now a mere heap of shattered
trees, shattered trenches and the usual remains of many
fiKhts, for in 0 davs it chanKed hands nine rimes. The
Staffords captured it for the last time on the 9th of
April, and from then onwards it remained Brltish. The
line then tan between Loisne Chateau and Raux Farm
---our old Brigade Headquarters of 191"5, now a German
machine un and trench mortar nest--to the S.W.
outskirts of Le Touret and on to the canal at Mesplaux.
Except for the old keeps at intervals, it consisted
entirelv of a few small holes dug mlore or less at
random, with little or n,o wire in front. Behind his,
alon K the whole Divisional front ran the Liverpool Line
or Reserve Line, slightly deeper and better sighted
than the front line, and defended by the "Beuvrv river,"
a small stream runnin K between steep banks and
reputed tobe uncrossable bv tanks. Gorre and Le

O58 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSH1RE.

Hamel vill:ges came behind this line, and provided
Battalion Headquarters with cellar accommodation, and
the Support Battalions with billets of a sort.
Fatras in the front line were not too plentiful, and
Ccmpany Headquarters usuallv consisted of a hole 4ft.
by 2ft. bv 2ft. into which the Company Commander
could just squeeze himself, and curl up his feet to avoid
baving them kicked and tv0dden o.n by the men passing
along the ditch outside. Rations came to Gorre and
Essars bv rail and limbcr, and were carried forward by
hand over the top to the front line. Except for
ccas.ional bursts of tire on certain roeds and villages,
particularly Essars and Gcrre, the enemy was on the
vhole quiet. These were small gas bcmbardments,
an.d orne or two reallv bad days, but for the most part
it was a quiet sector, except round Route A.
Behind the villages came the La Bassée Canal wirh
all the bridges mined and demolition parties readv to
blcv them up in the event of a hostile attack. The
idea cf course was that thev should be blown after the
last Englishman N. of the Canal had either bcen killed
or had cvossed it. That the bridges would get
demolished ail right, none of us ever doubted for a
moment; we were equally certain that this vould take
place o¢a the first alarm of any attack, and those of us
wh.o happened tobe on the North ba,nk would thus be
compelled to fight to the end or swim. Fortunatelv
these warriors were never called on to perform.
Vaudric.ourt Park was the rest area. At first, bell
tents and a few bivouacs were ail the available over,
but in rime, as corrugated ircn could be sent dovn from
cld horse lines in the forward area, messhuts, co3k-
louses and canteens were built. There were no long

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE.

spells of wet weather and when it was fine the Camp
in the Park was delightful. It was never shelled and
never b,ombed, and it is hard t) imagine a better place.
Verquin and Vaudricourt provided the necessary
estamin.ets and the soldiers could obtain as much vin
blanc (or " Jimmy Blink" as it was more popularly
called) as they desired; xvhile one Bertha ruade large
sums of money by inserting a slip of lemon peel into a
glass as cheap champagne and selling it to officers at
an exorbitant price as a " champagne cocktail." The
country round provided good ground or a sports meet-
ing, in xvhich "A " Company were victorious, while
"' D " Company managed to finish a close second in
most events. Lieutenants Everitt and Quint and
Private R. O. Start were the ch:ief runners, but large
numbers took part and tremendous keenness was
displayed bv ail. There was cricket almost every day
in the Park, and great enthusiasm was sho.wn in the
Battalion Championship, won bv Headquarters.
From the beginning of Mav to the middle of August
the Brigade never left these two sectors, Gorre and
Essars, and during this time there was no change in
the front line. It xvas seldom that anything happened
of sufficient importance to final its way in,to the day's
communiqué, but everv tour xvas full of i.n-teresting
incidents, ail of which shoxv how the xvarfare was
rapidly changing.
Out first relief was remarkable for the fact that we
took over at Battalion Headquarters two cows (and
xvith them a daily supply of fresh milk), for xvhom
L/Cpl. " Pat " Oo,llins xvas self-appointed cowman--
vhile the left Company found a plentiful supply of eggs.
A stray mule was round wandering round the outposts

-°,60 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

on the " wrong "' side of the [3euvry river, while il! the
farm actuallv in the front line we discovered still alive
after "._':1 days without food--a cw and calf, two
bullocks, an old white horse and a pig; they were ila
a terrible condition of starvation and had to be killed
by the Intelligence Olcer, :lad Lieut. Hewson, who
found it a most unpleasant tast« There were of course
man 5" dogs---one, at a cottaffe in no man's land, beinff
particularly" ulapleasant for patrolling. In addition to
Lan.ce-Corporal Collins' cows, txx,o others and a goat
were led out bv l'rivate Muggleto«. The goat came
to an untimelv end, being done to death in Vaudricourt
l'ark bv its Company" Commander, out.ide wh, ose tent it
was noisilv bexxailing its captivity'.
In front of u., there was little or no wire, and our
first encounter with the enemv was on the 6th of Mav
when a Corporal and three rnen of " D " Company" went
out to wire their post and marched sŒraiffht on to a patrol
of alout 3 êlaemv waiting for thêrn. The enemy opened
tire at close range and the wiring party threw down
their xxire and replied. Two of the part 5" were tait in
the first few seconds and a third--Private Smith--who
had corne to us from the -nd/Sth in January---was
attacked bv two Germans and carried off struggling.
The Corporal fired at the enemv who then ruade off,
leaving one dead man behind them. The Plal:oon
Commander (2nd Lieut. V. M. Cole) came up and, after
assisting the wounded back, set off to look for Smith.
Except, however, for the dead man, nothing could be
round of the enemy', and bv dawn the search was given
up as hopeless. The following night Smith returned.
It appears that the enemy meeti.ng more opposition than
thev expêcted, marie off as soon as thev had got their

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 261

prisoner, and, as there were plenty of bullets about, the
remainder of the patrol, leaving prisoner and escort to
follow as best thev could, hurried back to their lines.
Smith watched his chance; suddenlv stooping, he
kcked one man amidsbips, siezed lais rifle, gave the
other a jab with the bayonet, and ran for lais life. He
got away, but had to lie up un, til the next evening to
get back. For this he was aarded the Militar}
Medal.
The following" tour, in the (iorre right sector,
was very successful until the [ast two days when
Battalion Headquarters received the just punishment for
tempting fo.rtune too far. Both 4th and 5th Battalions
had their Headquarters in the cellar of Gorre Çhateau--
cramped aud stuffy at anv rime, and in the hot weather
unen,durable. Our Headquarters, therefore, cleared
otlt a ro.o.l on the first floor for a mess--it had a carpet
and other luxuries, and its onlv blemish was a shell-
lole in the corner of the window. XVith great pride
we invited Brigadiers and oçhers fo out new mess, until
on the 17th of Mav the crash came. The enemy had
fired several salvoes towa.rds the Çhatea-u during the
afterno,on, and at 8-15 p.m. he started in earnest. The
»:ood, the Chateau and the corner bv the Church were
shelled unceasingly--first wi-th 77 and 105 m.m. sbeils--
later on with 5.9's. The mess was knocked inç the
wood vas filled wi,th gas, the kitche.n and signal office
both had direct bits. The Transport had a terrible
time on the road, and it was onlv the devoted work of
the Transport Ofiqcer, nd Lieut. XV. R. Todd, with his
drivers, particularl.v Hill and Randall and the Provost
Serjeant Bennett, which enabled rations to be taken up.
An advance party of Stafford Otlicers got to the cellar

o62 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

anti couldn't leave it for two hours, un.til finally Colonel
lVood took them up the line himself, returning alone
through the wood.
The Companies were comparatively immune except
near the " Tuning Fork." General Thwaites was visit-
in, the line at the time and had a n,arrow escape
himself, while his A.I).C. was badly wounded.
Towards morning" the shel$ing" somewhat subsided, but
one ver)" unluckv shot hit the cellar ventAlat,o,r and filled
it with gas. Then came the sun and with it the
mustard; not verv many mustard shelJs had been fired,
but, as the day advanced, the heat kep,t drawing the
gas out of the gçound and the Chrteau bectme a death
trap. XVe all cleared out earlv and went into the fields,
but even so it was too late; many men's clothes were
tainted, and by 6-0 p.m. all the serx'ants and mo.re than
half the other Headquarter details were blind and had
to go. Serjen.t Bent, o,f the Regimen.tal Aid Post,
an.d A11bright, the Orderly Room Clerk, were amongst
those who went down. Out Medical Officer (Captain
XV. B. Jack), Intelligence Officer (-°nd Lieut. J. A.
Hewson) and Lieut. K. Ashdowne al1 went to Hospital,
while the 4th Battalion lost all their Headquarter
Oflicers. By night the Commanding" Officer was unable
to speak, th.e Adjurant half blind, and the Padre was
doing everybody's job with his xxonderful energy. It
was a very sorrowful Battalion Headquarters that
handed over to the Staffordshires and round its wav
slowly back to Vaudricourt.
S.oon after that-on the -'29th of May--" C "
Company had another g'as misfortune while in supp.cvrt
in Gorre villag'e. Their h.ouse was he,avilv shelled with
mus-tard, and thoug'h all men were taken out as socn

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 263

as possible 40% of the Company, tgether with 2nd
Lieuts. H. Coxell and O. D.arlington had to be
evacuated. There was so much gas aoE this time that
special compartments were set apart for gassed men
and gassed clothing on the Fouquières-Le Quesnoy-
Kan.tara Dump light railwav.
Towards the etad of the month the crops began to get
very high, and by the first week in J-une hardlv a day
passed without some daylight patrol taking advantage
of them. Çaptain Banwell first made the experiment.
Accompanied bv his runner, Smiles, he visited the
" crashed " aeroplane just N. of the Rue du Bois and
f.ound a most elaborate German night post in a tree,
with wires to mathS.ne gun posts. His example was
followed on the 9th of Jun.e by 2nd Lieut. Cole, who
went out one morning with Lance-Corpcral Thurman
and a party from " 1)" Company. They crawled
through some wire and found themselves close to a
German shell-hole post. 2nd Lieut. Cole himself
reaon.noitred this post, and finding the sentry dozing
called up his Corporal. The latter h.it the sentry on
the head with lais rifle " to attract his attention " (so
read the patrol report), and leaning over the hole
whispered " Ici ver-----er." The Boche, however, was
too frightened to " ici " and 1.ooked like giving the
ala'rm, so 2nd Lieut. Cole jumped d.own and fired his
revolver to hurrv him al<ng. This caused a considerable
disturbance. Two German Machine Gun posts only a
few yards away joined in the fight and for a moment
things lo'oked bad for the patrol. The latter, finding
thev could not get a prisoner, ruade a note of his
Regimen.t, shot him, and made off under a heavv tire
from the machine gun posts. Thev all got awav safelv.

2fi4 THE FIFTH LEIUE.TERSHIRE.

The Corps Co.mmander described 2nd Lieut. Cole's
w.ork as " a verv fine piece o.f patrol xvork, and caIled
for courage, initiative and cunning of a high degree."
Ten davs later-on the 19th of June--the enemy
suddenlv shelled the "' Tuning Fork Switch " trench,
and this very gaffant young office.r was badly
wounded in the arm. He was taken doxn to the
Çasualtv Çlearing Station at once, but in spite of all
the I)octo.rs' efforts, blood poisoning set in, and on the
29th Lieut. Maurice Cole died. The saine evening he
was awarded the Militarv Cross for lais patrol fight. He
lies now in l'ernes cemeterv. No olîicer vas ever more
loved bv l»is naen, and iustly so, for he was not oanlv
their leader in danger, but their first friend in ditfieulty.
In the Mess " Bill " Cole was as popular as in the field.
Patro,ll.ing was no.t confined to these two Çompanies,
and manv olîicers and men spent quite a large propor-
tio.n of their time crawling tlaro.ugh the corn. Chier
anaong these were 2nd Lieuts. Asher, Argyle, Boarland,
Christy, Davies, Serieants T. Marston, IU.M., Haines,
Foster, IU.S.M., P. Bowler, T. Tunks, T. Needham,
Clamp and others.
VCith the hot weathcr the La Bas.sée Cnal became a
verv useful asset, and not onlv were there c,o.nstant
bathing parties, but it was actuallv possible at the end
of July to hold a swimming gala in the " Brewery
Reach." There were several well contested faces and
diving competitions, uninterrupted bv hostile aircraft,
and a verv pleasant afternoon (considering the Boche
were less than a mlle awa.v) was spent in this wav. The
chief race was xvoa bv Signaller S.tanton.
Toxx-ards the end of July, as ,there was no sign of the
long expected German attack, preparations were marie

GORRE AND ESSARS AT PEACE. 5

for the coming winter. Houses were reinforced, and
had concrete bouses built inside them, and some verv
comfortable Headquarters were built in this way.
Perhaps the best of these was the Battalion Head-
quarters of the Route A sector--a cottage on the banks
of the canal and screened from anv .,bservation bv the
xxoods. It had its own bathing place (where Serit.
XVilbur nearlv got drowned} and its own private
approach bv the tow path--incidentally-, of course, its
oxn mosquitoes, but one got used to them in rime.
On the l.'th of July we lost Captain Banwell, xvho
went into hospital for a few weeks with his fifth wound--
an aeroplane bullet in the stomach. It was not at all
a sli.¢ht wound, but he managed to persuade the Pernes
Do.ctors that it was, and so contrived hot to be
evacuated beyond the C.C.S. He eventuallv returned
in August, and after a few days as A.D.C. to General
Ro«vley,, who was then Commanding the l)ivision, ,vent
off o'n a month's leave to get fit.
On the 6th of August the Staff had reason to believe
that the Boche mi.ht be contemplatin.g a withdrawal
that m, ornin.g, and we were asked to make sure that
we could still get in touch with the enemv. Accord-
ingly, Lieut. Pearson, Lance-Corpo.ral " Antv " Carr
and Pte. Ferrin, all of "A " Company, erawled out at
dawn toxvards the rulned houses and batterv positions
opposite Route A Keep. It was the anniversarv of
Carr's 1916 experience and before thev went several of
his friends iestinKly warned him no.t to be captured this
rime. The p.atrol crawled via several dvkes and got
close to the bouse without disturbing anyone, until, to
get a better view Lieut. Pearson knelt up to use glasses.
A machine .¢un then opened tire on them at close range,

266 THE FIFTH LEI(ESTERSHIRE.

so they returned. On th.e way back they were suddenly
fired at by a post ,in their path--the ,occupants must
Rave been asleep on the way out. Pte. Ferrin was
Rit and died almost at once, but tre others tried to bomb
tre enemy out, and, findi.ng they could no% decided to
lie still until evening. H,owever, the enemy proved
m,ore resoIute than usual and soon surrounded and
captured the whole party. The fight was seen bv
several of the front line posts and also by a patrol of
"D " Company under nd Lieut. Chris.ty. TRis latter
was quite unable to give any help as it was itself having
ver)" great difficultv in getting away from tw.o large.
Boche patrols who were trying to rut it off. A few
days later, while we were in support at Le Quesnoy,
the enemv started his withdrawal, and the Gorre-Essars
front once more became a battle sector.

CHAt'TER XV.

GORRE AND ESSARS AT "VAR.

10th Aug., 1918. 12th Sept., 1918.
TIE enemv started his withdrawal North o,f the Lawe
Canal, and it was hot until the latter hall of August
that the Gorre sect.or was affected. However, ail
preparations for more open warfare were ruade, and the
supply of rations and ammuni,tio,n was reorganised in
such a wav that either limbers or pack animais could
be used at short notice. During our tour in the Right
Sector from the 14th to 18th of August ail rati.ons for
" Route A " were taken up to forward Company Head-
quarters on mules and ponies; the latter, under the
skilful handling of their drivers, showed a most
admirable fortitude in the face of macbine-gun tire.
Each night a little column of heavily laden ponies under
Corporal Archer or Lance-Corporal Foster could be seen
m,oving slowly along the Tuning Fork Road, first with
rati,ons then with water; towards midnight they
returned (" drivers up ") at a much brisker pace.
On the 18th we left trenches and came into support
for three davs at Le Quesnoy. Colonel V¢ood was
away Commanding the Brigade for a short time and
Major Griffiths was in Command. Ail available men
were set to work cutting the corn, which was nov
ripe and would soon spoil if no,t cut and carried in.

2,68 THE FIFTH LEI{.'ESTERSHIRE.

Bayonets took the place of scvthes as the latter wcre
almost unobtainable, and it was surprisiaag to find xvhat
progress was ruade with these weap,ns. In a few
davs several train loads were sent down on the light
railwav to Fouqnières. Ail this rime the news from the
South was most enconraging. The great attack of the
8th had frccd Amiens and cach dav brought us news of
further successes. On the 20th the Staffordshires on
the lcft round some of the enemv's advanced posts
unoccupied, ,and the same dav prisoners taken on the
Lawe Canal spoke of an impending retreat to the Le
Touret-Lacontnre line. On the 21st the Commanding
Otfice.r returned, and the same dav the Brigade moved
into and occupied the old German front line near Cense
du Ranx Farm. That night we relieved the 4th
Battalion in the ,o,ld Right Sector and occupied the
Liverpool Line as Snpport Battalion to the other two,
both of whom were in and forward of the old front
li.ne. On the nd General Rowlev decided to have one
outpost Battalion for the whole frontage, and the
following dav we took over the line from the junction
with the 55th Division (in the old front line E. of
" Route A Keep ") to the juncti.on with the Sherwood
Foresters N.E. of Le Touret village.
On the extreme right xve had pushed forward across
the road where thev were opposed in the centre by
Epinette East Post, and on the left by some tiouses in
the Rue itself, to bo.th of which the Boche as still
clinging tenaciouslv. On the left the line was continued
by " D " Company (Lieut. T. H. Ball in the absence of
Captain Bm.oke) who held positions astr,ide the Rue du
Bois. The extreme left platoon was about :200 vards
up the Rue de Cailloux and occupied one of the old

G»RRE AND ESSARS AT VAR. ')69

keeps in the Sailly--Tuning Fo,rk--Vielle Chapelle Line.
Here, and on the Rue de L'Epinette, the enemy" was
active with snipers and trench mortars--in the centre
things were verv quiet. "C" Company (Hawley)
and " B " Cmpany" (Tomson) were in Support in the
old fo,nt line; Battalion Headquarters lived in Loisne
Chateau, nw '" Railhead " for the light railwav. There
was no front line in the old sense--it was simply
" outposts " as laid doxn in lVield Service Regulations.
Verv fev of the Company Oflqcers had had anx previous
experience of this vork, but Çolo.nel \Vood soon put
us straight, and organized things himself. He was
absolutelv indefatigable and dav and night vas up in
the line sighting good positions and studying the enemv.
The latter were distinctlv alert as thev sho«ved bv their
behaviour on the 2Ith and 2ath hen xe not onlv made
no pnogress, but had several casualties. First, on the
extreme right, an " A " Company patrol tried to recon-
noitre the Epinette East Post bv night. Thev were
seen and fired at heavilv and had to corne back leaving
one of their number dead behind them. Soon after-
wards, in an attempt to recover his body, Lance-
Serieant Camp was himself hit and died a few bors
later. "A "" Compan 3 could ill afford to lose this
N.CO., who had shown himself as gallant a leader in
battle, as he was an efficient instructor on the Parade
Ground. The following morning, accompanied bv
his runner, Lance-Ç,orporal C<yltins, and the Adjutant,
the Commanding Officer started on a tour round the
utpost line. He visited "A " Cmpany's posts and
passed on to " D " Cmpan.v. On reaching the Rue
du Bos he «ot on to the road, and, as it was mistv,
started to walk \Vestward along it. \Vhether the little

70 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

party was seen or not will never be kno.wn; what
happened would seem to show th-at they were. They
had not gone seventy yards belote a " whizz-bang "
burst a feu" yards North of the road htting a Stretcher
Bearer. An.other followed, this time the burst xvas
only a few vards behind the party. The others escaped,
but Colonel ¥ood was hit in the back of the head and
vas thr, ocn stunned on to the road. M, ore shells
f, ollowed, and the three lav in a ditch till it was over,
and then ruade their wav back to Battalion Head-
quarters. The Colonel refused to be carried and walked
ail the way to the Aid Post, where the Doctor round
that a shell splinter had grazed the back of his skull,
and had onlv been prevented bv the steel helmet from
doing more damage. The Colonel wis.hed to remaln
with the Battalion, but the Medlcal Oftàcer was
obdurate, and he was finally evacuated, and a week
later sent to England. He had been in Command onlv
a short rime, but we had learnt in that rime what a verv
gallant soldier he was, and how his one care was to
m.ake us the first Battalion in the Division. His place
was taken bv Major J. L. Griffitls vho had been Second
in Command since 1916, while Captain John Burnett
took over the latter's duties.
The saine afternoon we had further bad luck. On
the extreme left No. 13 Platoon (Christy) had been verv
activelv sniping the enemv on the Cailloux Road, and
s-oon after midday, came the retaliation in the form of
heavy shelling which lasted about an hour. There was
little cover, and one post was wiped out, including a
promîsing young soldier, Lance-Corporal Harries,
whose naine had been recommended for a Cmmission.
2nd Lieut. Christv managed, in spite of the diftàculty of

GORRE AND ESSARS AT 'AR. 271

moving men in da)light, to get the majority of his
Platoon out of the Keep, and took up posi,tions on either
flank; this action undoubtedlv saved many casualties.
Corporal Hamill, one of the old soldiers of the
Battal.ion and a well-k.nown long distance runner, was
killed at the saine time. The Platoon was naturallv
rather shaken, and its place was therefore taken by a
l'latoon of "C " Company. The following night we
were relieved by the Sherwood Foresters and went back
to Vaudrioourt. The Relief was carried out without
interference from the enemy except for Battalion Head-
quarter Officers, who had to leave Lois,ne Chateau at
the gallop. Salvoes of whizz-bangs were arriving at
frequent inter-vals, and there was just time to mount
and gallop 300 y.ards down the road between the bursts.
The next six days at Vaudricourt were delightful;
we all needed a test, and the weather for once was
excellent. At this time Major General ¥. Thwaites,
C.B., who had Commanded the Division since 1916,
was appointed Director of Military Intelligence at the
Var Office, and his place was taken by Maior General
G. F. Boyd, C.M.G., D.S.O., D.C.M. It is impossible
even nw to estimate all that General Thwaites did for
the Division, and it was ver5.' bad luck for him that
he had to leave iust at the time when the Division was
to reap the fruits of his training. He took us over after
the Gommecourt battle, and we were tired and weak,
as is to be expected after heavy casualties; if he had
staved another month he would bave seen us doing as
no Division had done before. There are manv of us
who would cheerfullv hav.e been " crumped " to escape
a " G.O.C.'s Inspection," but we have lived to be
hankful even for these; thev m.ade out Pla.toon and
Company organisation perfect.

:]72 THE FIFTH LEI{_'ESTERSHIRE.

On the 30th we all went and listened to a lecture on
Co-operation with Tanks, given bv an Ol5cer vho had
taken part in the recent fighting down South. It was a
bloodthirsty and blood-curdling recital, and at the end
of it we ail felt ready for an enorm, ous battle, provided
we could have a tank or two to help. The folloving
da)', being the Brigade Boxing Tournament Finals,
some of the N.C.O.'s and men got an opportunity of
slaking thcir battl.e lust. This they did verv success-
fully, as at the end of the dav we were equal with the
5th Lincolns, who had previously alwavs been winners.
Serjeants D.'ardl, e, Ptes. " Iat " Moore and Martin, ail
won their weights, and iu addition Serjeant Vardle won
the open catch weight championship. This N.C.O.
then chaIlenged an)' one of th.e 5th Lincolns' side to
fight a " one round " deciding bout, and, beating his
opponent, won the dav for the Battalion. The
Brigadier gave avav the prizes and also the Sports Cup
xhich we had won. There xvas a verv gratifying
predominance of " velloxv rings " throughout this part
of the proceedings.
The following dav--the 1st of September--we
returned to trenches, and went into support with
Battali.on Headquarters in Le (uesnoy and the Com-
panies in and around Gorre village. As the new
Divisional Commander had hot vet arrived Brigadier
General Roxvlev xvas still in command of the Division
and Lieut. -Colonel Foster, of the 4th Battalion,
eommanded the Brigade. The Germans were with-
drawing verv slowly, and bv the .3rd the Staff decided
that as soon as the 5th Lincolnsh,ires had gained " Rum
Corner" on the Rue du Bois, where the Boche had a
s.trong pill box, we should go forward xvith a barrage

GORRE AND Eb;NARS AT VAR. 273

uith Princes' Road as o.ur objective. Orders did no,t
arri,e until after midday and then Rum Corner had not
fallen ; it was, h,owever, expected to fall by t-0 p.m.,
and out attack was ordered for 8-0 p.m. the saine
evening. There was no time for reconnaissance and
little for getting out ord.ers, but we m.anaged to arrange
for an assemblv position and a barrage, which was to
advance in iumps of 100yds. every ! minutes. Every-
body had a hurried tea and set out between 5-0 p.m.
and 6-0 p.m. for the line. It was not ver}" satisfactory
and we were ail glad when, owing to the stout
resistance of Rum Corner the advance was postponed
until 5-15 the following morning--th, e 4th of September.
It was a warm night and the Companies remained in
the trenches round Loisne and were able to bave a good
meal before starting. Late that night the 5th Lineoln-
sbires reported the taking of the " Corner," so that all
was nov ready for tbe battle. V'e dld not expect
much resistance. Shortly belote midnight fresh orders
arrived making o.ur objective the old breastwork
through Tube Station and Factorr Post (the support
line in 1915). If possible we were to push patrols on
to the old British front line in front of Fine. Cour
D'Avoué a.nd Fm,e. du Bois.
Soon after !-0 a.m. we were ail in out assembly
p.ositionsthe three attacking Companies along a line
running N. and S. about 300 yards E. of Epinette
R,oad, with out left iust North of Rue du Bois; the
Support Company 100 vards behind them. "D "
Company (Brooke) was on the rlght with orders to
protect that flank, if necessarr facing right to do so as
tb,ev advanced, "A " Company (Petch) was in the
centre, and " B "' Company (Pierrepon.t) left, astride the

7' THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Rue du Bois, " C " Company (Hawley) was in support.
Battalion Headquarters were in Epinette East Post
vith an Orderly Room and rear Headquarters in Loisne.
About an hour belote we were due to start a curious
tking happened: It was suddenly discovered that a
onsiderable n,umber o.f the 5th Linco,ln.shires xvere now
some distance E. of out " jumping off line," and con-
seque'ndy beyond where the barrage was due to start.
The Brigadier tried to get the bar.rage advanced, but it
WarS f.oun¢t impotssible to tell the Artillery in time, and
in the end the Lincoln,shires, muc.h t.o their disgust, had
to be withdraxvn. As their leadin,g men had gone as far
as Princes' Road, it did hot look as though we should
h,ave much opposition that far at all events.
Promptly at B-lB a.m. the barrage came down and
the advance began. Princes' Road was reached and
crossed, the breastwork was round empty, and, after
a sh,ort pause in the latter, the right centre Cornpanies
went on to the old front line. The left Cmpany had
slightly more difficult ground, and arrived half-an-hour
later; nowhere had a German been met, though one or
tvo had been s'een making for the Aubers Ridge. It
was a bloodless xictory, and by 7-0 a.rn. the Battalion
was occupying the idential sector that it occupied in
1915. The barrage had n,ot been needed, but it was
none the less verv useful, for ve all learn¢ ho.w close we
could keep and how to judge the " lifts." Consclida-
ti,on was hot a diflïcult rnatter except on the right flank,
where we could hot until evening get touch with the
155th Division. h was consequently neces.sary for " D "
Cornpany to swing back their rig.ht through Tube
S.ta.tion ,and Dead Cow Post and face South. On the
left Colonel Currin with his Sherxood Foresters was in

GOlf.RE AND E.'.¢S.\R.'4 AT .VAR. 275

touch with us at the Factorv Keep. Batta[ion Head-
quarters mov.ed up just belote midday to a small shelter
200 yards west of Princes' Road. In most of the
captured dug-outs the following notice was found :--
Dear Tommy,--
¥ou are weh.ome to all we are leaving, vheJa we
stop we shall stop, and stop you in a manner vou
w, on't appreciate. FRTZ.
It was neatlv printed in English block capitals and
caused much amusement. Th,e whol.e dav was in a
way one great ioke--the un-needed barrage, the empty
trenches, these farewell notices, ail combined to make
us very happy.
At first we thought we were going to be let off
without anv retaliation at ail, but the foItowing morning
at " stand to " a fairly heavy barrage came down for
hall-an-bout on the breastwork support line--presum-
ably to break up any intended attack. " B " Co.mpany
Headquarters most unluckily received a direct hit
causing six casualties. Txvo Serieants who could iii
be spared, A. Cross and E. Bottom[ev were both badly
vounded, the latter mortally; two servants, C. Payne
and L. Brotheridge, were wounded hot verv seriously,
and the two runners, G. S. Bott and G. Dewsburv were
hit, Bott so badly that he died in Hospital. These two
runners, in.separable friends, had long been associated
with " B '" Company Headquarters, and had alwavs
don.e yeoman servioe, for there was probably never a
better pair. In the afternoon orders came that we
sho.uld be relieved at dusk bv the 19th Division, but
that we must be certain that we were in to.uch xvith the
enemy when handi.ng over. Accordingly orders xvere-
sent up to Captain Petch to trv and locate the exact

276 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSH1RE.

position of the enemy. At first th.e patrol sent out was
unable to draxv tire, so, taking C.S.M. Passmcre, Serjt.
Boxvler and others with him, Captain Petch went cut
himself, and the two waved their arms and shouted tc
imaginary platoons to make the enemy think an attack
vas coming. The ruse was successful, a machine gun
opened tire from close quarters. The two dropped into
a shell hole and started to crawl their wav back; there
was plenty of cover, and if they had been patient all
vould have been well. Unfortun.atelv C.S.M. Passmore
thinking it xvas sulî]cientlv dark, got up a.nd walked
tozards our lines. He was hit and killed outright.
This warrant officer joined us at Gommecourt in 1917;
his energy and fearlessness at once bvought him to the
front, and he soon rose from Serjeant to be Company-
Serjeant-Major. His place in "A " Company was
taken by Serjean.t Vardle, of " C " Company. As soon
as they were relieved Companies marched to Loisne
Chateau, where they xvere to entrain. Trains were not
ready, but after a long wait, the xvell-nigh frantic
eff, orts cf Captain Schiller p:vcduced them, muh
to everybody's delight, and somewhere about midnight
we marched back to Vaudricourt Park.
Tvo days later the new Major-General was intro-
duced to us, and at once won his way to out hearts by
his xvonderful charm of manner. He must bave been
surprised to sec outside the mess a lo.ng line of horses
and mules all waiting saddled up. ¥e had arranged
an officers' paper chase and every officer attended ; those
who couldn't find chargers had perforce to ride mules.
The hares (Captain Burnett on " Mrs. Vilson " and
2/Lieut. Todd on the friskv black) were given ten
minutes' grace and then, led by " Sunloch " (Lieut.-

GORRE AND ESSARS AT ,VAR. 277

Colonel Griffiths " up ") the rest of us swung out of
the Park and off toxvards Labuissière. The pace was
verv hot and rnost of us soon dropped behind, though
the mules, kee,ping as usual all together and led by
Padre Buck, rnanaged to stay the wh.le course. Four
riders, finding they were getting left behind, started to
rnake a short cut through Hesdigneul and there on the
village green met tbe hares on the way home. It xvas
a drarnatic moment xvitnessed by large crowds of
gunners, and Lieut. Brodribb on the Col.onel's pony,
and Lieut. Hawley on the faithful and xvell-intentioned
" Charrie," dashed after the hares. The effect,
however, xvas sornewhat spoilt by "Lady Sybil," unused
no doubt to audiences, throwing the Ad]utant over her
head on to the rniddle of the green. The hares were
finallv cauglt after a 9-mlle run within a few hundred
yards of home. It was a great performance.
Our stav at Vaudric,ourt was not a long one, and we
s.oon rn, oved to Béthune, preparatory to entrainrnent for
the South, for it was noxv no longer a secret that xve
xvere going down to fight a real battle at last. The
nexv General intro.duced a " Blob " formation, xvhich
was both easy and effective, and we practised this once
or txvice outside the town. Our first line transport was
also reorganised in such a way that each Cornpany had
its own two l{rnbers with Lew;s Guns and arnrnunition,
bornbs and all necessaries. On one srnall Field Day
the Signallers with their flags turned out as Tanks, and
we practised everythi,ng as realisticallv .as possible. \Ve
were ail verv keen, and better still, verv fit; in fact,
the Battalion never looked in better f, orrn than on one
of these training days when we rnarched past the
Brigadier.

27 THE FIFTH LEI(_'ESTERSHIRE.

From the 9th to the llth of September we remained
in Béthune, a depressing town now, to those of us who
had known it in its davs of prosperity. \Ve managed
to bave che very good concert in the Barracks and it
vas surprising hov much really good talent we found,
conjuror, humourists and sentimental singer were ail
readv to amuse us. At midnight ll/12th we fell in on
the l'arade Ground and marched to Chocques--the
irrepressible Drums giving us che or two tunes on the
way. It rained hard at the Station and there was a
terrible shortage of accommod.atin. At length, vith
much shoving, swearing and puddle-splashing ve got
on bo.ard, an.d at 4-0 a.m. left the Béthune Area. \Ve
had been on the Lens-La Bassée Sector for seventeen
months : ve never saw it again.

CHAPTER XVI.

PONTRUET.

14th Sept., 1918. 25th Sept., 1918.
Ot'R journey Southwards was uncomfortable and
uneventful. The onlv remarkable feature vas the
acrobatic skill displayed bv the mess staff, transferring
meals from the kitchen-cattle-truck to the officers mess-
cattle-truck. Even at the usual speed of a French troop
train, it is no easy task to drop off the train w]th a
pile of plates in one hand, a dish of potatoes in the
other, walk fast enough to catch up the carriage in
front, and fin.ally, in spite of signal wires, sleepers and
o.ther pitfalls, deliver ail safelv at the " Mess." Yet
this was done not once but often. Vv'e spent the wh<le
day in the train passing St. Pol, Amiens, and Corbie,
=and finally towards evening reached Ribemont, where
we round our billeting party wai.ting f<r us. Billets
consisted of some distant dug-outs across a swampy
recto.r, and the recent rains had ruade what few tracks
there were too slippery for the horses. It was ail verv
unpleasant, and we spent a cold and cheerless nigh.t.
"' A " Company, which had renmined at Cocques doing
1.oading duties, did hot arrive until m,idnight--very wet
and tired.
The ne:t da 5, was bright and warm, and we soon
¢liscovered that the two villages, Treux and Buire would

80 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

hold Headquarters and half the Battalion, so rnoved
into then xithout delay and cvacuated ail except the
more sumptuous and easily approached dug-outs. We
were now fa.irlv comfortable, and o,ur only grouse was
the abs.ence of anv canteen or even French civilians for
mlles and toiles, and the consequent lack of tobacco,
beer and other little luxuries.
Out more had brought us into General Rawlinson's
Fourth Army', and, as we were apparently hot needed
at once for a battle, we started vigonous training.
Route marches, and even " field-firing " practices were
carried out, and there xvas one b.ig Divisional Field
day, which ended triumphantly with the Brigade and
Battal.ion Staffs picking rnushrooms on the final
objective. Meanxvhile the Second in Command's
Department under Major Burnett fixed up baths and
other comforts for us and, bv the 18th of Septernber,
ve were reallv verv comfortable. This same dav we
were ordered to more at short notice.
Motor lorries took us on to the main Amiens road at
Corbie, and turning East along it we jolted and bumped
and splashed out wav through Brie-sur-Somme to
Tertry. The countrv--what we could see of it in the
dark--seemed to consist of a barren waste of shell
h3.1e.s wath here and there a shattered tree o.r the remains
of some burnt-out Tank standing forlornlv near some
dark and stagnant swamp. Villages were practically
n.on-existent, and Tertrv was no exceptk3n, but we scion
settled down under waterproof sheets, corrugated iron
and a few old bricks. The transport under Maior
Burnett and Serjt. Yeabslev came ail the wav bv road,
and arrived some h¢3urs later; but much of our stores
had to be left behind with two storemen in Buire.

PONTRUET. 281

Manv efforts were ruade during the following months
to retrieve these stores, but it was no.t until after the
armistice that xve were finallv succêssful.
We were now IXth. Corps, and found our neighbours
wêrê old friênds from thê Bthune arêa--the Ist and 6th
Divisions. The Transport lines and " battle details "
of th,e Ist and l lth Battalions of the Rêgimênt wêrê
quite close to us, and we paid several calls. On the
20th, Captains Tol-nso.n and Banwell returned from
leave, much to the delight of thei,r Companies, for the
following dav we went into trenches, reIieving the
14th and 45th Australians in the Hindenburg Outpost
line, tha,t thev had so briIliantlv captured a few davs
before. V'e were in Brigade support aLong Ascension
Ridge, called after a farm of that naine, and the other
two Battalions held the line in front of us.
In their attack, the Australians had pushed forward
further than anvone else, wh[le the English troops on
their right, after some verv hard fighting, had been
held up bv the village of Pontruet. Cnsequently there
was a sharp bend in the line, and tbe Australian right
flank, though on high .round, was somewhat exposed.
The line ran roughly as follows :--

" I-.A t r,,r _.  r',,t

L I I't E

.qî] THE FII;TH LEI('ESTER.qHIRE.

The enemy still held posts on the ridge close to the
Australian front line, and were known to bave several
posts in Forgan's trcnch, which was the Southward
conthauation of out front line across the valley.
Pontruet was overlooked from everywhere, and con-
stantly bombarded bv o.ur Artillery', soit did not seem
likely that it held many Boche. The Sherwo,od
Foresters held thc right of the Divisional line and
joined with the 1st 1)ivisin on the high ground South
of the village. There was no sign of any intended
operation, and it ccrtainlv looked as if we could not
more until the troops on out right had advanced.
Accordingly on the nd the Adjurant rode back to
Brie to go on leave. Capt. Banwell, reallv a " battle
detail," went up to assist the Headquarters, while the
other " deta.ils "--Major Burnett, Captain Petch, Lieut.
l'ierrepont, -nd Lieuts. Edwardes, Griffiths, Taylor,
C.S.M.'s Cooper and Martin--remained with the Q.M.
Stores.
No sooner had the Adjutant gone, than orders came
for a battle. At dawn on the Jth the Division on
our right was going to advance, and the J6th Division,
bv wav o. assisting them, was to capture l'ontruct and
hold Forgan's trench as a final objective. The 13Sth
Brigade were chosell for this fi.hl, and General Rowley
decided to use one Battalion onlv--ourselves. We were
to attack thc village from the rear, bv advancing into
the vallev from the North and then turning ,Vest,
while one Company" turnin.g East would capture and
hold Forgan's. There xvas little rime for preparation,
so Colonel Griffith,s callcd a Company Çommanders'
meeng, reconn,oitred the village from above and
decided on his plan of attack. At the saine rime a

PONTRUET. 83

runner was sent after the Adjutant, and round him just
boarding the leave train. It vas a near thing, but hot
for anything would he have missed the next few weeks.
The Colonel's plan was as follows :--To assemble
the Battal.ion i, lines of platoons in fours facing So.uth,
just behind the right of our front line. " A " would be
on the right, "D " on the left. At Zero ail would
more forward wth a barrage, kceping about 50 vards
distance and interval bctween platoons. Ail would cross
the Bellenglise road and finaily, when the leading
platoons were lcvel with the farther, i.e., South, edge
of l'ontruet, " A " and "' B " would turn to the right,
sweep through and reform on the \\:est side of it.
" D "" would turn left and capture Forgan's trench,
having a platoon of "C " Company to help them.
The rest of " C " would assist which evcr party seemed
to be in difficulties. The Headquarters would move to
the high ground, whence the fight ,ould be vis.ible,
and there was everv hope of opening signal communica-
tion with the attacking Companies. Artil[erv arrange-
ments were made accordingly, and bombardments
ordered for the'supposed posts in Forgan's. Un-
forttmately, much against out wishes, and in opposition
o the Br-igadier's scheme, a h.eavv smoke barrage was
to be placed on the \Vestern edge of the village. A
West wind would make this a thick bla,ket and
sefiousl hinder our advance, and \\'est winds are verv
common; however, we could hot alter this part of the
scheme. The Sherw.ood Foresters ere ordered to
assist by pushing up to the v.illage a/fret we had
oaptured it. Zero would be 5-0 a.m. on the 2-[th of
September.
As s,oon as it was dark on the 2:rd, Captain Banwell

8 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

taped out a "jumping off" line for the leading
plato.ons. There was some unpl.easant shelling at the
time, but he completed his task successfuIly, and also
taped out the route to th,is assemblv position. At mid-
night, relieved by the 6th South Staffordshires (Lister),
we mached off after an issue of h, ot tea and rum to
the assembly ground, leaving great coats behind and
wearing fighting order. On arrival we round that the
Lincolnshires had been raided in their North end of
Forgan's trench a short time belote, and, as there
might still be some of the enemy near the trench, " D "
Company were ordered to form up in it, instead of on
the top. It was hot a dark night, and had xve been
seen assembling ail would have been lost. There was
s,ome s.cat.ter.ed shelling, and Lieut. Brodribb, command-
ing " A " Company, was wounded in the leg. He had
it dressed at the R.A.P., and, find,ing he could still
walk, rejoined his Company belote the advanee began.
Ii1 absolute silence we lav in shell holes waiting for
Zero. A mist had started to blow up from the valley,
and the Battalion was almost invisible. Here and
there a few heads, the muzzle of a Lewis gun, the end
of a stretcher might be seen just above the ground,
and occasionally one could see the tall figure of Capt.
Tomson, imperturbable as ever, walking quletly round
his Company wlth a word of encouragement for all. As
the time went on, the mist became thicker and thicker,
and bv -t-50 a.m. platoons and Companies were unable
to see each other. The shelling had ceased, it was
very quiet.
Punctuallv at 5-0 a.m. the barrage opened, and the
advance started. The timing of the ArtiIle D- was
perfect and, with the road to guide them, " A " Coin-

PONTRUET. 285

pany on the right swept across the Bellenglise road,
k,eeping close to the barrage. By 5-14 a.m. No. 1
Platoon (Quint), which was leading, was ready for the
righ,t turn. The rest of this Company followed, and,
though No. 4 Platoon (Dennis) slightly l.ost direction
for a time, they soon regained their place, so that the
whle Company vas ready to turn together. It was
still hall dark, and, as we had feared, the smoke
barrage blew across and shrouded us in a thick blanket
of fog. During their advance, "A " Co.mpany had
found the machine gun and rifle tire v.erv hot from their
left flank, apparently fvom Forgan's trench, and had
already lost Serjt. P. Bouvier, who was killed outright.
Thev had met no enemv outside the village, and could
hot see more than a few vards through the smoke. The
other Companies were out of sight.
Turning into Pontruet, " A " Company round it full
of the enemv. Odd lengths of trenches here and there,
cellars in everv direction were filed with bombers and
machine gun teams, some facing West, others, vho had
realised out intentions, facing East. Led by Lieut.
Brodribb and their platoon commanders, "A " Com-
pany" dashed in with the bayonet. Here and there a
bomb was thlovn do«vn a cellar, or a Le,vis gun turned
against so.me party which res.isted, but for the m.ost part
the bavonet xvas the weapon of the dav. The enerny
were scattered, a few tried to fight, but large numbers
were killed trying to escape, while 120 were captured,
and 50 more driven into the Sherwod Foresters' lines.
The work on the North side was the easiest. Here,
small parties led bv 2nd Lieut. Denn.is, who xvas
slightly xvounded, C.S.I. Wardle, Serjt. Toon, and
others carrled ail before them, cleared the lower road

PONTRUET.

PONTRUET. 287

and the cemeter.v, and formed up outside the N.,V.
corner, where thev were joined bv their Company
Commande r.
In the centre there was more fighting, and while
L/Cpls. l)owns and Starbuck and Pte. Meakin led their
parties through with tremendous dash, one Lewis Gun
secti.on under Dakin, a " No. 1 " Lewis Gunner, round
itself held up by a strong German post. The " No. 2 "
was killed, and Dakin himself was shot through both
thihs almost at once, so that there was no one left
to work the gun. However, Hyden, an untrained
soldier, came forward and fired the gun, while Dakin,
bleeding fveelv and with b<th thighs broken, lay beside
him and corrected stoppages, until he succumbed to his
injuries.
The Company's heaviest losses were on the Southern
or upper side of the village. For, in the S.,V. corner,
the Germans had two lengths of well defended trench,
suppovted by a block ho,use, and against these 2nd.
Lieuts. Aster and Quint and Corporal Tvers led their
men. The two officers were killed almost together at
the second trench, but the Corporal broke clean
through, only to be shot through the head when almost
outside the village. Seven others of this saine gallant
party were killed at this corner, and the remainder,
unable to deal with the blockhouse, fought their wav
through to the main part of the Company.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Battalion had been far
less fortunate, and, with no ro,ad to guide them, had
been baffled bv the fog. 2nd Lieut. Lewin and Serjt.
Harrison with a small party of " B " Company crossed
the valley and, turning right, follwed No. 1 Platoon
into the Southern hall of the village. They were too

288 THE F1FTH LE1CESTERSHIRE.

small a body Io clear the bl.ockhous.e co.rner, and first
Serjt. Harrison, then 2nd Lieut. Lewin were killed as
they gallantly tried to get forward. Two others of
their men were lait, and the test were scattered.
One platoon of "B " Company remained intact.
2nd Lieut. Co,sgrove, finding he could hot keep direction
and advance at the required pace, dropped behind.
Sto.pping everv few vards to take a co.mpass bearing,
this officer finally brought his platoon to its allo,tted
turning point and entered the village. Following the
lower road, the platooa split i, nto txo halves and
"' mopped up " anytling left by " A " Company,
making sure that the whole of this side of the village
was absolutely clear of the enemy. 2nd Lieut. Cosgrove
with his two sections joined Lieut. Brodribb outside
the village. Corporal Barber with his Lewis gun
section took up a positio.n inside near the Cemetery.
The test of " B " Company and the left hall Battalion
fared badlv. Forgan's trench, supposed to be held by
a few odd posts, was strongly manned from end to end.
It was wired in front and lateral belts had been placed
at frequent intervals across it. It would h,ave been a
stiff task for a Company to take it with a direct frontal
attack; to " work up " it was impossible. None the
less, " D " Company (Brooke) did their utmost. Led
by their Co.mpany Commander in person, the Company
left the trench at Zero and started to work along it.
There was wire everywhere, and the going was verv
bad on to.p, so that many men o,f the rear platoons
dro.pped back into the trench and ruade their way along
it--a fatal mistake. On nearing the Bellenglise fo:ad
this Company was met with a perfect hurricane of
machine gun bullets from three guns in a nest near the

PONTRUET. 89

road. Captain Brooke was hit but co.ntinued to lead
his men, and, ably backed bv Serjt. Darby, ruade a
gallant attempt to rush the positi,on. The men still in
the trench could give no assistance, and though two
prisoners were taken the rush failed, and the German
machine guns remained unharmed. Captain Brooke
was twice hit again and with -'2nd Lieuts. Sloper and
Buckley, who were both xvounded, had to leave the
fight. Serjt. Darby and L/Cpl. Smi,th had been killed
close to the enemy's guns, Serjeant Sull,ivan was
wounded, and for the moment the Company was leader-
less. Lieut. Corah came up to take command, but by
the time he reached the h.ead o,f the Company it was
too late to act, and Fo.rgan's trench remained full of
the enemy.
The occupants of Forgan's, mostlv machine gunners,
appear to bave realised almost at once the direction
of our attack, and opened a hot tire on out left flank
as we crossed the Bellenglise road and set off across
the valley. "A " Company felt tlis severely, but far
more severe were the losses of "C " Company and
those platoons of " B " which did rot make their turn
into the village. These were nearer to Forgan's
trench, and both lost heavilv. The mist and smoke
were ve.ry thick, connecting files were useless, and
the various officers, collecting what men they could find,
rnade their wav as far as possible in the right direction.
Lieut. Hawlev xvith the bulk of " C " Company round
a few of the enemv still in the Eastern end of Pontruet,
turned them out, and occupied a trench along the edge
of the village, facing East. Further South along this
saine trench another party of " C " under Lieut. Steel
rnade use of a small o,ad bridge, and took up a position

290 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

facing the saine way. The test of the Company
foll.owed Lieut. Barrett and Serjt. Spencer and reached
the far side of the valley, being joined on the xvay by
some of " B " Company. A few vards up the bank on
the Southern side, Lieut. Barrett round to lais surprise
a trench across lais route. The fog was still thick, and
this puzzled him--it had bcen newlv dug during the
night--but, as it was full of Germans, he rushed if,
got inside, and turncd towards F.organ's. He was lait
doing so. Rcach.ing Forgan's, this part)', in whicb
Scrjcant Spencer was conspicuous, quickly disposed
of three German machine gun pos.ts and their teams,
but vere thon thcmselves fired at and bombed from
several directions. Undeterred, Lieut. Barrett, though
again voundcd, drew his revolver and xvith it held up
one bombing party, while Serjeant Spencer dealt with
another. A bomb burst close to Lieut. Barrett's pistol
arm and put it out of actif.n, and by this time he was
becoming exhausted. Calling his N.C.O.'s together,
h.e explained what h.ad happcned and gave them careful
directions as to how to get out, himself quite calm the
whole time. Acting on his instructions, those of the
party who were left eut their vav out; Lieut. Barrett,
refusing h.elp, started to crawl through the wlre, and
xvas again woundcd. He evcntuallv reached the R.A.P.
literaIIv c,overed ith wounds. Co.ntrarv to the
I)octor's expectat.ions, however, he hot only lived to
receive his Victo,ria Cross, but soon ruade a complete
rec.overv.
At the saine time, Captain Tomson, finding his C_,om-
pany now consisted onlv of his signallcrs, runners, and
batmen, and unable to find out where the test had gonc,
determined to try and rush the machine guns hich

PoNTRUET. .'29l

were keeping up such a steadv tire close to his left flank.
His little party forced their wav through som.e wire and
round themselves opposed bv three guns. \Vith a
shout of " Corne along Tigers, show them what you
can d,o," Captain Tomson led them straight at the
enemv. Two of the gun teams were overcome, but
the third could not be reached, and fired at them point
blank. L/Cpl. Signaller J. Smith was wounded and
fell, Cptain Tomson, bending down to fie him up,
was shot through the head. Onh" two men got away,
leaving their leader, now dcad, iii a small shelter outside
the trench. Smith, m.ortallv wounded, refused to be
taken away, saying " Leave me with Captain Tomson,
I shall be ail right"--and there he died next to hls
Company Commander. So perished the kindest hearted
and bravest gent!eman that ever commanded a Com-
pany in the Regiment. Calm, c,heerful, with a friendlv
ord for ail, Captain Tomson was the father of his
men, and a warm friend to his brother officers and
N.C.O. 's.
Bv 6-30 a.m. it was daylight, but the fog and smoke
still lav like a thick blanket along the valley, hidin the
village and ail that was going on there. It was not
until 7-45 a.m. that the wind blew this away, and we
were at last able to sec how we had fared. The village,
with the exception of the blo¢khouse corner, was in
out hands. "C " Company were holding more than
hall its Eastern side, while "A " and part of "B '"
had reformed after the attack and were dug in just
outside the N.V. corner. The onh" troops actuallv in
Pontruet were those with Corpl. Barber at the Ceme-
terv. The rond leading \\'est from the village was
thronged with prisoners and stretcher bearers making-

9,92 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

t.heir way towards the large crater on the main road,
used as a Company Headquarters by the Sherwood
Fores.ters. Captain Jack had esoEablished his Aid Post
at the bcttom o.f the little valley running down to the
road, and here, helped by the never-tiring Padre Buck,
xvas busilv empl,oyed with our wounded.
In Forgan's trench there vas a deadlock. Across
the vallev and on the Southern slopes it was still full
o.f the enemy, who had manv machine guns. Daylight
ruade an attack over the open bv "D " Company
impossible, for as soon as anyone was s.een to leave our
lines he was at once fired upon. Every effort xvas marie
xvith bombs and rilte grenades to dislodge the German
machine gunners fro.m their posts on the main road,
but, though Serjts. Marston and Haynes and L/Cpl.
Thurman did their utmost, no progress could be ruade.
Here, therefore, "D " Company h,ad to stay through-
out the da)', almost poxverless to help, except by
harassing the enemy with stokes mortars from the high
ground. \Vith daylight, the enemv also had complete
command of the Eastern edge of Pontruet, and Lieuts.
Hawley and Steel had to lie very quiet; the slightest
m.ov.ement attracted the attention o.f the snipers in
Foran 's.
At 8-0 a.m. the battle xvas prac,tically at a standstill,
and the C.O. sent the Adiutant forxvard to see what
could be done to improve o,ur position. The enemv's
artillery xvas now farlv quiet, and, exeept for the one
machine gun post near the blockhouse, there seemed to
be no Germans in Pontruet. "A" and "B" Com-
panies had exhausted all their grenad.es and Lexvis gun
ammuniti.n in their efforts to capture this one post,
but had failed, and our o.nlv hope was now that a 1st

PONTR( ET. 293

Divisional Tank would doit for us. This Tank xvas
seen coming up fro.m the \Vest, and, to attract its
atten.tl.o,n, we waved our helmets on our rifles. It turned
towards us, but suddenlv broke dox,n, and soon after-
wards was put completely out of acoEion.
At the saine time, efforts were ruade to signal to
Battalion Headquarters for ammun.iti,o.n, but the signal
apparatus had all been destroved in the fight. The onlv
flag available was one of the " red, white and black "
Regimental flags, which the Adjutant happened to have
in h.is pocket, and th.ough this vas vigorously waved,
it could not be seen. A runner had to be sent instead.
Meanwhile, though we had practically cleared the
village of the enemy, we were not, as far as we knew
at the VV'estern end of it, holding it verv strongly. The
only post known to "A " Cornpany was Corporal
Barber's at the Çemeterv. " C " i Cornpany were
supposed to be " somewhere at the o.ther end," but no
.one quite knew where. However, with Corporal
Barber was a " C " Company soldier--Coles--who
undertook to find his wav back to his Çompany. Out
idea was to forma line through the village at once,
and, when amrnun{tion arrived, push the line through to
the far side. Coles round " C " Çompany, but so ho,t
was the sniping ff.oto Forgan's, that anv idea of moving
men in that direction had to be aband.oned, at anv rate
until darkness. Coles himself was unable to return,
so that the exact position of " Ç " Company was never
known at Headquarters.
On the return of the Adjurant, Battalion Head-
quarters moved up to the valley next the R.A.P. At
the saine time a large supply of amnmnition and bombs
was brought up as far as the crater. Colonel Griffiths

294 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE-

himself set off to visit " A " Company, but he had not
gone many yards along the road belote he was heavily
sniped bv the enemv machine gunners. The latter had
established several posts on the high gro.und S.E. of
Pontruet, and were now makiaag the road impassable.
For a long time th.e Col,onel, making us.e of shell h.oles,
tried to make his wav to the village, but every time he
was " spcCted " and finallv he had to return. Ammuni-
tion carrying parties lost very heavily and never got
near out companies ; th.e village seemed to be completely
cut off from us. To add to out discomfort the enemv's
artillerv was again active and gas shells xvere fired
wherever movement was seen. The Headquarters and
the R.A.P. were frequently bombarded. At the saine
time the enemy's infantry started to dribble back bv
Forgan's and the new trench, into the S.x.V. corner of
the village, probably to counter-attack. Observers saw
this m.ovement from the "]['umulus Ri.dge, and, as soon
as Corpl. Barber's post ¢0'uld be withdravn, the
suspected area was heavily sbelled by out gunners, and
no attack developed.
During  the aftern.oon, the Headquarters, finding that
in their new position thev were in touch wth
neither Brigade Headquarters nor their Companies,
moved back to the hill-top. Captain Jack and the
Padre remained with the R.A.P., tlough their vallev
ws almost continuouslv shelled, and never entirely free
from gas. The devoted work these txao did that dav
is bey, ond description and too great for praise.
At 4-0 p.m., as out position was materiallv
unchanged, we received orders for a fresh advance, to
be ruade in conjunction witb one Company of the 6th
Sherw,oo,d Foresters. Our objeotive was to be a line

PONTRUET. 295

along the Southern edge of the village, to link up with
"C " Company, or at least to extend to where we
imagined " C " Company to be. Captain Pink, of the
Sherwood Foresters, commanded the Gc,mpany which
was to help us, and no one could have worked barder
than he did to make out advance a success, but the
uncertainty of " C " Company's exact position, and the
impossibility of sending them any orders, made our
task verv diflcult. Late in the aftern,oon we at last
got news of Lieut. Steel. In spite of shells and
machine-gun bullets, a runner came along the main road
from St. Hélène to the crater. This runner, Private
F. Lane, had had to crawl 250 yards acrcss the open
undçr direct observation, had had to kill two Germans
before he could get clear of lhe village, and had then
run the gauntlet of shells and bullets along the road--
ail this alone. Not content with having delivered his
message, he refused to rest, and, th.ough exhausted,
ruade his way back bv the saine wav that he had corne.
We now knew where Lieut. Steel was under lhe bridge,
but still we knew noth,ing of the main part of "C "
Company.
At î-30 p.m., as it was gctting dusk, the combined
advance started with.out a barrage. It was a big
frontage for so small a force and parties lost touch with
each o.ther amongst the ruins. "A " Company's left
kept clo.se to the Sherwood Foresters, but the outer
flanks of both were " in tbe air," for "C " Company
could not be found. It was dark when the South side
of the village was reached, and it was found terribly
difficult to keep direction amongst the ruins and
trencbes. A Lewis Gun Section, under C.S.M. YVardle,
disposed of the only party of the enemv who were
encountered, but the post near the Blockhouse could not

296 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

be f.ound. Finallv at 9-0 p.m. the Sherwood Foresters
fell back to Fourmi trench near the main road, and
-'2nd Lieut. Dennis, now commancing "A " Company,
ordered his platoons to return to their former positions.
We had accomplisbed nothing.
The original plan bad been that we should be relieved
as s.oo.n as it was dark, but out present line was so
uncertain that the relieving Battalion refused to take
it over as we had it. The men were tired out, and it
was impossible to expect them to make ano.ther attempt
to forma line round the village. "C " Company
were f,o,und, but too far North t.o link up with the
others. Eventually, at -0 a.m. on the _'25th, we were
ordered to xvithdraw ail out Ca'npanies and evacuate
th.e v, illag:e. This we did bv 4-0 a.m. ,Vhat was left
of the Battalion then marched back to where we had
left out greatcoats, xvhile the Sherwood Foresters took
ox, er the line north and west of Pontruet. The Adjutant
saw the last parties out of the village, and the Colonel,
th.ou,h tired out, insisted on going round the lines and
visiting each platoon as it came in.
The following dav we received this message frorn
General 13ox'd :--
" Please conratulate Lieut.-Colonel Griffiths and
the l/Sth Bn. Leicestershire Regiment cm the good
fight they put up yesterday, and tell them I am quite
satisfied. Thev captured many prisoners and
accounted for numbers of the enemv. Owlng to
unexpected reinforcements they attacked an enemy
twice as strong as themselves, and moreover in a
strong position. Although we did n,ot reach out
objective, the enemv was prevented from reinforcing
the troops opposed to the Division on our right.
(sd.} G. F. BOYD, Major-General.

PONTRUET. 297

\Ve had lost one Company Commander and three
subalterns killed, one Co.mpany Commander and six
subalterns woundêd. Of the tank and file, thirtv werê
killed, of whom three were Serieants , one hundred were
wounded, and eight were mlssing. But ve had proved
that rive plato.ons could clear a village held by three
Battalions (so said one o,f the prisoners) of the enemy;
wê had shown that whên N.C.O.'s bêcamê casualties,
private soldiers were rêadv to assume command and
bêoomê leaders, and, mos.t important of all, the battlê
had pro.ved to êach individual soldier tha.t if he went
with his bavonet be was irresistible.

CHAI'TER XVII.

CROSSIN( THE CANAL.

25th Sept., 1918. 4th Oct., 1918.
THE txxo davs following this action were spent in
refitting and re-organizing what was left of the
Battalion. Ail availablc officers fro.m the " battle
details " were ordered to join us, and Captains Petch
and Banwell resumed command of their Companies,
while Lieuts. Hawley and Corah took over "B " and
'" D." Mai,or Burnet/ also came up and, though we
xvere s.till in trenches and holes in the ground, managed
to produce hot baths for everybody. The line was very
quiet, the weather .warm, we needed a rest, and for
two days we h,ad it. The Brigade was to be relieved bv
the Staffordshires on the evening of the 27th, and our
first orders were to go into various trenches and dug-
outs round Grand Priel Farm. These orders, how-
ever, xvere cancelled before relief, and we were allotted
instead a quarry and some trenches jusl North of le
Verguier.
Up to the evening o.f the 26th ail had been ver3., quiet
and there was not the slightest sign that any active
op.era.tions were in-tended. However on this evening,
the Transport drivers, bringing up rations, told us that
ail the roads be,hind th,e lines were thick vith guns,
lorries and wagg,ons, ail moving up. At th.e saine

CROSSlNG THE CANAL. 299

cime Colonel Griffiths returned frorn a Conference, with
some orders so secret that they were told to no one.
The folloxving dav we saw that during the n.ight many
new barre-ries had taken up pos.i¢io,n,s o,n the Ascension
Ridge, guns had been carefully camouflaged, men
hidden awav in copses, and all was still very quiet.
The saine da3-, office.fs of ancther division came up
reconnoiteving--all with Go.nsiderable secrecy--though
one was seen to be carrying a map with a red line on
it, .somexx-here fo,ur toiles East o,f the St. Quentin Canal.
The folloxing night more batteries silentlv took up
their positions; large bomb, water and ammunition
dumps were ruade wherever a house or copse would
screen them from the enemv's aircraft, everything was
being prepared for so,me giganfic enterprise. As we
x'ent out to le Verguier, we passed sorne of the
Staffo.rds.hires going to the front line. It was a very
drk nigh,t, but xx'e could see that thev were carrying
more than usual and that their equipment locked very
bulkv. Thev xvere xvearing life belts.
The secret could n.ow be kept no longer, and as s.o.on
as possible orders were ruade knsvn to ail. They
x:ere brief : " The 46th Division will on a ctrtain date,
as part of a major operation, cross the St. Quentin
Canal, capture the Hindenburg Line, and advance to a
pcsi.tion on the high gr,ound East of Magny la Fosse
and L.ehaueourt (2 miles E. of the Can,al)."
The St. Quentin Canal, cr Canal du Nord, as it is
called fuvther Novth, runs for the most part North and
South. At Bellicourt, opposice the Americans, 1,000
yards North of out sector, it ent.ers a tunnel and is for
a eonsiderable distance underground. At Bellenglise,
opposite the right o.f out Divisio,n.al sector, it takes a

300 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

_',;-harp turn to the East, and runs, past Lehaucourt and
le Tronquo.v, for 2 mlles before again turn4ng South.
The main Hindenburg Line followed tKe line of the
Canal, just East of it. The Arnericans would attack
the line above the tunnel, and North ¢zoE thern British
Dixàsions w.ould continue the advance far to the North.
The J,6th Divisi.on would attack with its right on
Bellenglise, and a gap of 1,000 x'ards frorn its left to
the Arn-ericans. South of us no attack xxould be
necessarv; for, once ac.îoss the Canal, out right flan-k
would be defended all the wav to le Tronquoy by the
Canal itself and this porti.on of the Hindenburg Line,
whic'h xx-e should " r, oll up " frorn l:he flank. Tanks
could hot cros.s the Canal except over the tunnel at
Bellicourt. Consequently the IXth Tank Battalion,
allotted to our l)ivisioa for the attack, xx-ould advance
with the Arnericans, and, once in BellicoJrt, turn south
and joi us to assist in the advance to the village
objectives and the heights. To the Staffordshire
Brigade was alloted the crossing of the Cnal and the
taking of the Hindenburg Line. Then, after a pause
to allow the Tanks to corne round, the Sherw,od
Foresters on the right and our Brigade on the left
would sxx'eep on, st-ill under a barrage, to the final
objective. We should hax-e to deal xx;ith ]3Iagny village,
the 1Light Brigade with Bellenglise and Lehaucourt.
On the final objective there would be another pause,
then, if all had g:on.e well, the 32nd Divls.ion would
corne through to the " Red " Line of explcitation--
an,other two mlles still further East. ]3Iaps were issued
with the objective of each unit shoxx'n in colour. The
Staffordshires had the " Blue,'" xx'hich was the Hinden-
burg Line, and the " Brown " further E. to hold till

CROSSING THE CNAL. 30|

we came up; the 4th Leice»tershires had the " Yellow,"
wh,ich included Knobke'rry Ridge, the 5th Linco.lnshires
the ,L Dotted Blue "--just bey.on.d Magny village; ve
had the last of ail, the " Green " line, including a
sunken cross-roads, an old m, ill on so,me very high
glound, and a small copse called Fosse Wood. It was
arued that bv t'his time either the attaek would have
failed and we should hot be vanted, or, if successful,
there could hot be very much resi,stanee; we were very
weak after l'on,truet, and this was oo,nsidered the
easiest task. The day chosen was September 29th--
the time, dawn.
Outside le Verguier the.re runs a muddy lane with an
o.ld quarr.v beside it. In this quarry, in an evil-
smelling but very deep dug-out lived Battalion Head-
quarters; everybody else occupied trenches in the fields
round abo.ut. On the oppcs,ite side of the lane was a
battery of 9. °'
_ s, firing almost con.tinuoJsly dav and
n,ight, making it almost impossible to reach the Head-
quarters, and quite impossible to ride down the lane.
Al.together our survoundings vere unpleasant. The
enemv soon made them "orse, for aboJt an hour belote
dawn on the 28th he suddenly put over a few sm,all
shells, apparently h,igh explosive, round "B "
pany's trenches, while one or two also fell r, ound " C "
and "A " Companies. Finally he pitched three clean
into the quarry, and the sentry w.oke up to the fact
th, at they were not only high explosive, but con.tai'ned
a verv fait percentage of mu.tard g, as. It was about
an hoJr belote the disoverv was ruade and still longer
b'efre ail troops were moved away. "C " Company
wiselv took no risks and were soon across the road, and
"A " and "D " were pr, actically un,affected. "B "

302 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Com.pny, however, were hot warned, and it was nearly
two lours after the first shell had corne belote they were
fin.ally moved grumbling to another area. Apparently
no one was gassed, but we knew mus,tard ordy too well
a.nd feared very m.ucll what the enemy wo,uld bring
forth. However, at 9-0 a.m it came on to pour with
tain, and we got more hopeful.
At 11 o'clock Col. Gritths, taking the Adjutant and
Company Commanders w'ith him, set oaï to a Conference
wi.th the Tank ofiïce.rs at Brigade Headquarters. The
e,nemy were shelling le Ve.rguier, th,e 9.'s were firing
vigorously, it was purîng with tain, and the horses
were very ner-vous. The ride was cons.equently exciting.
Led as usual by " Sunloch," the party galloped past the
9.'s a.nd halted at the entrance to the village to try and
" t.ime " the Boche s,hells. One came, they dashed in,
turned the ccrne.r and just got clear i.n time; the next
s.he.ll skimmed over the last groom's head and wounded
a German prisoner.
Out conference with the Tank officers caused a slight
alteration ifi Col,onel Griffiths' plan of attack. He had
intnded to ad,tance with two compan.ies in front and
two in support, but finding th.at a three company
frontage was more suitable for Tank co-operation, this
was adopted--"A " Company (Petch) to be on the
right, "C " Company (Banwell)) to be in the centre,
and " I)" Company (Corah) on the left. "B "
C, ompany (Hawley) would be in support. The front
line Company Commanders arranged rendezv.us with
their Tank Comma,n.ders, and we rode back.
By evening out w)rst fears had been realized, and
fortv-five of " B " Cmpany had to be sent to Hospital,
too blind from the mustard gas to be cal any use.

CROSSlNG THE CANAL. 303

C.S.M. XVardle and about rive men from each of the
other C,ompanies had also to go, while Headquarters
lost Mess Corporal J. Bus.well. As we had lost L/Cpl.
Bourne a few davs before, this left us rather helpless,
and, but for out energetic Padre-Mess-President,
should probabl.v bave starved. VVe had one consola-
tion. Towards evening on the 28th the rain stopped,
the weather brightened, and there seemed to be every
prospec of a fine Sundav. Bombs, flares and extra
r.ations xvere distributed at dusk, and we turned in for
the night during which, except for a few aeroplane
bombs, the even.ing left us in peace.
At -0 a.m., Sunday, the 29th of September, the
barrage started. There xvas the usual thick morning
mist, and even at ï-0 a.m. we were unable to see more
than a fer« vards in anv directi.on. Even gun flashes
could not be seen, and the only intimation v«e had of
the pogress of the fight, was the continuous " chug-
chug-chug," of the tanks, mo,ving along the vallev
North of us, completely out of sight. As we were no.t
due to more unt.il 9-0 a.m. we spent the time having
breakfasts and reorganizing the remai.ns of "B "
Company. Lieut. Hawley, with the aid of the recentlv
returned C.S.M.J.B. XVeir, D.C.M., formed one large
platoon with as many Lewis Guns as possible.
Between 7-0 and 8-0 a.m. the mist lifted once for a few
seconds only, and, looking Northwards ve could see
the top of the next ridge. Along the skvline as far
as the eve could see fvo,m XVest to East stretched a long
column of horses, guns and wag.ons--moving forward.
Below them, in the shadow, moved a long procession of
Tanks. Then the mist closed down and we saw no
more.

30 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

As soon as breakfasts were finished, picked N.C.O.'s
and meaa were sent forward to get in touch with the res.t
e.f the Brigade and recon.noitre roads forward to the
Canal. At 7-45 a.m. came a message from Brigade
Headquarters, to sav that, as the mist was wo,rse
further East, we had better start moving at once.
Parade was accordingly ordered for 8-30 a.m., instead
of 9-0 a.rn., and we tried to forrn up in a field near the
quarry. The mist was so thick one could hot see from
one end of a Cmpany to the other, a.nd it vas nearlv
nine o'clock before Capt. Jack and his orderlies with
their medical box appeared in the field, and we were
ready to more off. Even so, we had to leave the mess
staff behind, but the Padre promised to bring them
along.
At 9-0 a.m. we moved off in single file, Col. Griffiths
leading, and the Co.mpanies folloving in the order
" A," " C, .... D," Battalion Headquarters, and " B."
It vas terriblv difficult to keep touch, as, with manv
oaths, we stumbled over ditches and holes until ve
reached the lane from le Verguier to Grand Priel. Here
we picked up the Headquarter horses, and also were
much cheered bv some wolunded soldiers, who told us
the Boche was running awav for ail he was worth.
Unfortunatelv our column was cut in half by some
artillery coming down the line, who passed between
"D " C.ompany and Headqu,arters. Alo.ngside us,
mov,ing on the saine track, were the 5th Sherwood
Foresters, also bound for the " Green Line "; their
" ail up " was passed to the head of out column, and
the Colonel, th.i.nking we were intact, moved on. At
Ascension Farrn, the Adiutant was sent in to report to
Brigade Headquarters and the Colonel truck off into

CROSSING THE CANAL. 305

the mist, marching ent,irely by compass bearing.
Periodically he and Cptain Petch stopped to check
their direction and then moved slo.wly o,n again; there
was some barbed xire and the h,orses were sent back.
Eventuall.v, after cross,ing the o,Id front line and go4ng
hall wav do«vn the next slope the Colonel halted, and
alloxving the Companies to form up by platoons, waited
until it was rime to o on. He judged that he should
be somewhere near the origin.al s.tarting line of the
Staffordsh.ires. "C " and "D " Cmpanies came up
but there was no Battalio¢a Headquarters and no " B "
Cmpany--incidentally n,o Adjutant. The latter,
com,in.g out fvom Brigade Headquarters, round that the
Ba,ttalion had gone and tried to ride af ter them. He
merelv succeeded in getting into a wire entanglement
and haing n,o groom had to leave h.is mare. \Vith
Lieut. Ashdovne, the Intelligence Officer, and Scout-
Crporal Gilbert--the onlv ones left of Battalion Head-
quarters--he went on, ho.ping to catch up the Battalion
beto.re they reached the Canal. Fo,rtunatelv at 10-45
the mist blev right away, and the sudden daylight
which followed sh)wed him vhere the Battalion lay; it
also sho«ved the Staffordshire's starti,ng tape onlv 60
vards froan vhere the Colonel had hal,ted.
Until 11-20 we sat in the sun and waited in the hopes
that s.ome of the missing people might loin us. \Ve
held a short Conference, and the Colonel decided that
if there was anv more fog or difficulty of anv sort,
Gompan.v Cmmande.fs shuld make their way at once
to their pl.aces in the " dotted blue " line. Scouts were
sent out to reo0,nn,oitre Çanal crossings, and as soon
as fhe barrage started for the 4th Battalion's advance,
we moved forward in rear of the 5th Lincolnshires.

306 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

There was some scattered shelling, but out formation
--lines of platcons in fours--was fo.und verv su[table.
On reaching the Canal the two right Companes crossed
by the remains of an old data, the left bv Riquerval
Bridge, and ail formed up in the ruins of the famous
Hindenburg Line on the far side. It had bêen terribly
battered, and here and there the remains of its
occupants showed l»cw deadlv out barrage, and how
tierce the assault of the Staffordshires had been. As
we reached the Canal a single Tank was seen coming
d,own from the North, an,other followed and then
others; " out" Battalion had crossed successfullv at
Bellic.ourt, s the battle must be going well.
After a short pause, the advance up towards Knob-
kerrv Ridge started. As we cros'sed Springbok Vallev
we could see the -tth Battalion consol, idating their
nexvlv-xon positions on the top, and thre was little
opposition fro.m this quarter. On out right, however,
there seemed to be a stiff fight g'oing on in Bellenglise,
artd several dropping shots from maohine guns fell
round us. We depl.oyed into the " blob " fo,rmatio,
before ascending the ridge, and for the next hall-toile
out advance was xorthv of a plate in Field Service
Regulations. In front the Colonel, with his eye on
Magny village, kept the direction right. Behind him
the three Companies deployed, their " distance " and
" interval " perfect, and worling s well toEe-ther that
if one xvas checked fo,r a t3me, rhe others saw it at once
and onformed. Behind the centre a small red cross flag
and the " red, white and black " marked the position
of the Regimental Aid Post and Battalion Head-
quarters. The latter's flag was a[readv becoming
famous, [t was the one w[th which " A " Company had

CROSSING THE CANAL. 307

tried to signal flom Pontruet. A few yards short of
the summ[t of the Ridge we halted and lay down again
while the 5th Lin(olnshires did their advance. XVh,ile
we were here, the Tanks came up, and so excellent
had been the liaiston, that from the Tank wh,ich stopped
behind "A " and "C " Companies stepped the officer
with whom they had arranged details the day befo.re.
At about 1 o'cloek ve moved on again---our centre
through Magny la Fosse and o.ur Flank Companies on
each side of it. The fight in Bellenglise seemed to be
over, and for the moment things were very quiet.
Swarms of priso.ners, waving their arms, were seen
coming from various trenches and the village; no one
was looking after them, we were ail much too keen on
getting forward. Here and there, xvhen a few Boches
showed signs .of getting into a trench instead of
keeping to the o.pen, some so.ldier would administer a
friendly jab with the bayonet to show them what xvas
expected of them. The Tanks came alo.ng behind us,
meaning to form up in 5Iagny woods, and wait there
till we went on. As the Lincolnsh]res go.t their
objective without trouble, we m,o.ved close up to them
and once more lay down to xvait for 1-40 p.m., the time
for o.ur own barrage and advance.
Urfortunately, though screened from the East, the
corner cf Magny .Voods, was vîsible from the South.
Across the Canal on the high ground, some German
gunner must bave seen the Tanks assembling, and,
finding no attack was coming his way, started to shoot
at point blank range at out rigfit flank. The right
and centre became verv unpleasant, and there was a
veritable barrage round " A " Company. Tbrcugh it,
verv hot and ver" angry at being shelled, suddenlv

308 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

appeared Padre Buck, a heavv pack of food on his
back, and behind him the Regirnental Serjeant-Major
and the rn, issing Headquarte,rs. He had found thern
near Ascension Farrn and knowing enough of the plan
of attack, had " sweatcd " thern along as hard as he
¢ould. It is irnpo,ssible to imagine xvh.at we should
bave done with,o.ut runncrs, signallcrs or barmen, to
sav n.othing o.f the food. As we were nov cnlv 600
vards frorn our final objective the Padre and Captain
Jack wen.t off to find a Regirncntal Aid Post and finallv
settled in a small dug-out in a sunken fo,ad just outside
the village.
At 1-41) p.m. out barrage started and our advance
began; our shclling vas slightly ragged in one or two
places, but for the rn'o.st part it was verv accurate--
wcmderfullv so, as guns were firing at extrerne range.
On the right "A " Cornpany working along, and on
both sides of an old trench, reached their objective
with.out difficulty except for the shelling which, airned
at the Tanks, was falling ail round the Cornpany.
Capta.in Petch, after L/Cpl. Downs and o¢hers had
rem.oved sorne twentv-one Boches frorn a hole under the
road, ruade Iris Hcadq.uarters there, went round his
¢,utposts, and sent patro,ls out to his right flank, where
the Shercod F.oresters, delaved in Belle.nglise, h.ad hot
ver reached Lehaucourt. Thev soon carne up, however,
and our right flank was secured. In the centre " C "
Cornpany had even more shells and did not have the
satisfaction of evicting anv Boches. Thev re,ached
the'ir o,bjective and put outposts rlound the Mill and
along a sunken road to connee.t with "A " Cornpany.
The protective barrage was still in front of them, and
throuffh it, in the direetion of Levergies, could be seen

('RoSSING THE CANAL. 309

several Gerrnan batteries lirnbering up. One was quite
cio.se. This was Ioo rnueh for C.S.M. Angrave and
Serjeant Tunks, xvho collected sorne txventy rnen and,
regardless of the barrage, took advantage of the cover
of a sunken road running East, and pushed forward.
Tlaev could hot cross the open, but, using their rifles,
dlowe off the gunners and killed the horses, so that the
batterv rernained in out hands. Th.is very enterpvising
part)" then went on under Serjeant Tutks and had a
look at Levergies, finallv re¢urning after it was dark.
Beh,ind "C " Cornpany, the Colonel and Adjurant
after l.ving for sorne tirne in a srnall h.ole, and wondering
whether they would be rolled on by one of out Tanks,
or hit bv the shells airned at it, fin,ally planted their flag
outside a little dug'-out on the N.E. corner of MaKny
Voods. However, the Colonel xxlold hot rest here,
but was off aKain at once to sec how we had fared. He
first met Captain Banwell looking f.or a " success
aocket "; this sounded satisfactory, and, as about the
sarne tirne, Lieut. Hawley appeared with " B "
Cornpan.v, and we once more had a " reserve, all
looked xx'ell. On the left--" D " Company (Corah),
after chalkin K ther narnes on a batterv of deserted
whizz-bangs, collected a Boche officer and sorne 50 men
frorn a 4.2 gun batterv without anv trouble; hurryin K
on, thev round sorne 20 o.thers trying to bloxv up a 5.9
How,itzer in Fosse \Vood, dernons.trated that this could
n<)¢ be alIowed and t,ook them ail pris,osaers; then,
without further opposition, thev dug in round the E.
side of the wood and continued the line No,rthxvards to
the Divisional boundarv. After visiting these, the
Colonel went off to look at the left flank, and here,
except for an Australan Machine Gun Section under a

"310 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE-

Serjeant there was no one. The Americ,ans were not
up to their objeotive, they had n,t even taken Etricourt,
and f).r nearly a toile back our left w.as " in the air."
V'¢)rse grill, the Australian Se.rjeart h,ad just been
ordered to withdraw; the Colonel poi.n, ted out the
.ituatio'n, and the Se,rjoant, dying for an excuse to stav
where he could see enemy to shct at, called back his
men and said " he'd sav as long as we wan.ted him."
It was nr ver 3' satisfact,o.ry, but we c.ould do no.thing
e.lse except pray hard for the arrlval of the 32nd
Divsi).n. "vVhen the Colonel arrived back at Battalion
Headquarters we though.t at first that our casualties
had been verT. light indeed, but it wa, s no,t long before
we got some bad news. On o.ur right flmak the Tanks
had suffered hevilv at the hands of the Germ.an
gunners on the Le Tronquoy high ground, and o.ne of
them, disabled and on tire, was a mark for several
German bat.teri.es. Some of the crew managed to
es¢ape, but o,thers, oo badly xounded, were le-ft
in.side ; one crawled to ¢)ur Aid Po.st. Padre Buck heard
of this and at once went off to the rescue. The shelling
was very heavy, and he was ,hit almost at once and
wounded in many places. He was oarried back to the
Aid Po.st, but died so,on afterwards, oons¢ious to the
last, but hot in great pain. The Padre had been with
s txxo years, and during all that rime, there was never
a trench or outpost that he had n.ot visited, no marrer
how dangerous or exposed. In addi'tion to his
Çhaplain's duties, he had been O.C. Gaine.s, Recreation
Room and often Mess President--a tho,ough sports-
man and a brave soldier, we felt his 1.oss keenlv.
Meanwhile every effort was being made to tell
Brigade of out success, a.nd, xhile one aeroplane with

CROSSING THE CANAL. 311

British markinffs bombed us (in spite of numerous red
flares), another took down a message from the
" Pcrpham " sheet, which Serjeant Signaller ,Vilbur
was operating. Soon after 4.0 p.m. Captain D. Hill,
the Brigade Major, appeared and told us that the 32nd
Division wcruld soon arrive, and at I5-15 p.m. their
leading Ba.ttalions came through us. However, they
round it was m3w too late to go forward, so put out
Outposts just in fr.ont of our line. Their appearance
provoked the Boche to further shelling', and an unlucky
hi,t killed Serjeant Taylor, an experienced and valuable
platoo«a Serjeant of " C " Company. Serjeants
Marshall of "C " Company and Clarke ooE "D "
Company, ere also wounded, but out total cas,ualties
fo,r the day were under -05. Ve had reached out
objective at ail po,ints and captured 8 guns and about
100 prisoners. The l)ivision alt.ogether h,ad taken 4,000
prisoners and 80 guns and h.ad smashed the Hindenburg
Line.
Th.ough the machine-gun tire from low flying
aeroplanes was somewhat troublesome at dusk, we had
a quiet night aftcr the battle, and were able to
dis.tribute rations and ammunition to the companies
s,oo.n after midnight. At the time, we hardlv gave a
though.t to this las.t, but it was a teat deserving of the
higheset pr.aise. Vv'e had advanced some four mlles
in.t the enemv's country across a canal, and bv dusk
bridges and roads had been built sufficient to enable
horse transport to carrv rations and ammurfitio,n to the
most adranced units. Ours were delivered just outside
Battali.on Headquarte.rs, and the Companies fetched
them from there. The admirable organization of the
Staff, and the skill and pluck of our Transport Drivers,

31, THE FIFTH LEICE:-qTERSHIRE.

h,ad enabled us to g,o into action carrying only our
rations for the one day--very different from the
Germans in their March offensive, whea each man xxas
loaded up with food for rive days.
The fo,ll.owing morning, the 32nd Division con.tinued
the advance, wi.th a small barrage, ag.ainst Sequehart,
Jo,noourt and, in the near cen.tre, Leve,rgies. The
enemv had round it impossible to remain in their
positions at Pontruet and South of the Canal, and
hustled bv the 1st and Freuch Divis,ions, had evacuated
them. The French were now therefo,re continuing our
line Southwar0s from Lehauooert. The attack started
at dawn and soon afterwa.rds the vallev past Fosse \Vood
was thronged wi,th \Vbippet tanks and cavalry, xvaiting
in case of a possible " break-thr.ou.h " It was the first
rime most of us had seen Cavalrv in action, and they
ruade an impo,sing sight a.s they filed along the valley in
the morning mist. At the saine rime several batteries of
Horse Artillery trotted up and taking up positions near
our "D " Company, opened tire to assist the atta¢k.
Levergies, overl.ooked from two sides, was soon taken
and several prisoners were captured o.n the left, but
elsewhere t,he enemv had been strongly reinforced, and
the attacks on Sequehart, Preselles and Joncourt broke
down under he,avv machine gun tire. Apparently a
stand was tobe ruade alo.ng the " F.onsomme " trench
li.ne--running N. and S. along th.e next ridge. After
waiting all day, the Cavalry and " whippets " slowly
xvithdrew again in the evening.
That night and the fo,ltowing day, as the 32nd
Division had nov definitelv taken over the outpo,st line,
the Companies were brought in¢o more comfortable
quaters near Magny la Fosse and Headquarters moved

CR()SSlNG THE ('ANAL. 313

into an old (;erman Artillery dug-out on the bill. In
these positions "A " Company had the misfc,rtune to
lose Serjean,t Toon, a most e.ne.rger5c and cheerful
t'latoon Serjeant, who was wounded by a chance
rnac,h,ine-gun bullet, but otherwise we had a quie.t time.
Reorganizati.on and refitting once rno,re occupied our
minds, and, as "B " Company's gas casualties had
m.ade thcm so weak, ail " battle deCails " ve.re ordered
to join us. The following dav they arrived under
C.S.)I. Coopcr, who resurned h,is duties with " i)"
Cornpany. 2nd Lieuts. Todd and Argyle also rejo.ined
us fro,m le,are, and the Stores and Transport rnoved up
to Magny village. The sarne afternoon there was a
Battalion parade and General Rowlev complirnented us
OI'I OUI" wo.rk during our twio battles. He had visited
Pontruet since the attack and was unable to find words
to express his admiration for out fight in the village.
The arrival of the " i)ailv Mail," and the discoverv that
at last the naine " North Midland " figured in tfie head
lines cheered us all irrnmensely, and the fall of St.
Quen.tin to the Frenc,h gave a practical proo- of the
value of out efforts. VCe were ail verv happy and
said " N.ow we shall bave a go,od test to re-fit."
Nothing, however, appeared to be further frorn the
inten:tio.ns of the Higher Cornmand, and on Octo,ber
2nd the oher two Brigades carne thvough us to take
over the tine frorn the 32nd, and again atternpt to break
the " Fons,omme " Line-on the 3rd. The French
would attack on the right, the 32nd l-)ix-isi.o,n would be
responsible for Sequehart, and the 46th, with Stafford-
s.hires on the right and Sberxvood Fo,resers on the left,
u-o.uld sweep over l'res.elle.s, Ranicmrt and Mont-
brehain, a,nd make a break for the cavalrv and

3].6 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

" whippets." Jonoe.ul-t bad already been captured and
the left flank was tl»e're.fo,re secure. Ottr Brigade was
in support, and would not be wanted to more until 8-0
a.m. There was hot much rime for making prepara-
tion.s, and the Artillery, who had particularly short
notice, spent the nigbt before the battle getting into
pcsitioa near out Headquarters.
Once more a tbick morning mist covered out attack
and tbe first waves, advancing with the barrage at
dawn, quicklv. coq possession of l're.selles and the
Fonsomme Line, killing lllallv Germans and taking
large numbers of prisoners. There was co.nsiderable
resistance in tbe centre, but the Sherwood Foresters,
led bv such men as Colonel Vann, disposed of it, and
bv 10.0 a.m. all objectives were gained and everything
rcadv for the Cavalrv. Meanwhile, soon after 8-0
a.m., the Battalion was ordered to more up at once and
support the Staff, ordsbires. \Ve were to be under the
orders of General Campbell, but would hot be used for
anv purpose except holding the Fo.nsomme Line, to
which we were now to go. \Ve had been warned the
previous evening tbat, if used at all, it would be on the
right flank, and reconnoitering pa:rties had already gone
fo,l'ward to get in touch witb the Staffordshires; these
had n.ot ver returned, so we started without them.
Soon after 9-0 a.m. we left Magny la Fosse and
moved dlo,wn the hill towards Levergies, which we
decided to leave on out right flank, as it was full of
gas. \\.'e were in lines of platoons in fours--" D "
Company (Corah) and "C " (Banwell) leading, bound
fo.r the Fons.omme Line, "A " Company (Petch) and
"B " (Hawley) foalow,ing with orders to find support
positions to the other two. Tbe Headquarters moved

CRO.qS1NG THE CANAL. 317

bv the railwav line N.E. of Levrgies to take up a
positi,on as near as possible to the Support Battal.ion
Headquarters of the Staffo.rdshires. AI1 went well until
the leading Cornpan.ies were beginn, ing to climb the hill
E. of Levergies, when a runner from Brigade Head-
qu.arters caught us up xxith a mess,age to sav that the
32nd Division had hot taken Sequehart in the first
attack, and that it xvas uncertain in wh,ose hands the
village now xas. Everv effort was rnade to warn the
Cornpa, n.ies, but we co.tlld hot reach " 1)" and " A "
in rime, and xve cculd onlv hc.pe that if Sequehart was
still in the enerny's hands, thev would be warned of it
in tirne Fo deploy their right platoons, which would
otherxxise match ila fcurs close to the edge of the village.
Seque.hart, hoever, if nct at thi,s rime actuallv in
e,ur hands, was ,at all events clear cf the enerny, and
our righ.t flank had n.o t,oable. The rnis.t and Sllaoke
ruade communication between the Gornpanies verv
difficult, and so each rnoved, more or less independently,
to its allotted station. "C " was the first to reach
the " Fcnsomme Line," onlv to fin,d that the line was
nwhere mo.re than six i.nches deep, and, except for its
concrete machine gun posts, was only a " big work "
when ph,otographed frorn the air. Captain Banwell
accordingly took up his position in a sunken lane
runnng be.twee,n Seque'hart and Preselles. Me.anwhile,
the cther leading Cornpany, " D," had rnoved too far
go the left, a verv fortunate clrcurnstance, because
Col.onel Griffiths was able to change their directi,o,n and
dispose them facing right, to forrn a defensive right
flank opposite Sequehart. "B " Cornpany was also
ordered to face right in support t2o "D " Cornpany.
" A " Cornpany, ho.wever, had no,t ruade the sarne err, or

318 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

as '" D," and Captain Petch, keeping his direction,
round, as " C " Company had, that the " Fonsomme
Li.ne " gave him no cover. He, therefore, occupied
the same sunken lane, about 300 yards south of "' C "
Compan.v. Soon a.fterwards an intercepted message told
Captain Petch >f our changed d, isposi.tions, and, to
pvotec.t his right, he too moved his Company to conf.rm
with '" 1)." Battalion Headquarters had bv this time
occupied a large bank at t.he boto,m of the bill, where
Colonel W'hite, of the 5th South Staffordshires, had
already planted h,is flag.
From our new positi.ons we had an extensive view
to the East. Mannequin Ridge was on the right
flank with Doon Hill at the end of it, held by the
enemy, ehough we could see the Saffordshires holding
the ridge. In the foreground was a valley, and on
our left an,o,ther ridge stretch.ing from Preselles to
Ramicourt. The Staff>rdshires did not appear ver)"
numerous for their large frontage, and it was clear that
unless the Cavalrv appeared soon, there was danger
tlat thev would be c.ounter-attacked. But at 10-0 a.m.
the lead, ing Cavalry were only just begin.n.ing to appear
over the Magny heights. The enemy was fairlv quiet,
• except for one field gun, 2,000 yards away on our
extreme right, bevond Sequehart. C.S.M. Angrave
kept sniping at the gurmers, wh.o replied to each of lais
shots with a whizz-bang.
It soon became obvious th,at so long as the enemv
rem.ained o.n Doon Hill, the Cavalrv cculd hot
advance, and shortlv af ter middav we received
orders to place txvo Companies at the disposal of the
137th Brigade, to assist in an attack on the Hill.
Golonel Griffiths decided to use "A '" and " D"

CROSS1NG THE CANAL. 319

Companies, and Captain Petch and Lieut. Corah
ve,re at once summoned to Headqu,art,ers, vhen »ve
were told the attack was to be ruade by the North
Staffordshires, Colonel Evans, an,d th.at ou.r Cornpanies
would be in suppo,rt. Acoordingly Colonel Grilîàths
and the Company Commanders set off for Colonel
Evans' headquarters while the two Companies m,oved
over the open to "C " Cornpany's sunken l.ane, where
they formed up for the attack. A few of "A" Company
under 2nd Lieut. Vhetton crossed the lane and reached
the Staffordshi.res' front line. T.here was no fixed
time t%r the assault, but the h.ill xvas to be shelled by
our Artillerv until 2.30 p.m. This shelling ceased as
our Companies reached the lane, nearlv a mlle from
the object.ive, and Colonel Evan« tried in vain to have
it renewed.
Meanwhile the enemv had been assembling out of
sight behind Mannequin Ridge, and now suddenly
attacked the Staffordshires heavily, driving them from
their positions on the crest. At the same time the
valley was swept fr, ona end to end bv bursts of machine
gun tire, and it was obvious th.at an advance across the
open could only be made with ver), heavy loss. Colonel
Griffith.s xs-islaed to stop the attack at least until
Ma,nnequin Ridge was retaken, but, before anything
could be donc, the enemy opened a heavv artillerv
barrage on the lane, and the Golonel was badly
wounded. Some of " A " Company had pushed
farward a little, and Captain Petc.h and 2nd Lieut.
Dennis managed to find some cover for No. 4 Platoon
about 200 yards East of the Lane. It was now about
3-0 p.m. and Colonel Evans, probably intending to
airer his plans, sent for the Company Commanders.

0 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

As they arrived a shell fell on the party, killing the
Colonel, Lieut. Co.rah and 2nd Lieut. Christ)', wound-
in,g Captain Petch. A few minu.tes later 2nd Lieut.
Mace was hit in the leg with a bulle,t, a.nd both he and
Cptain Petch were sent dtovn. " 1) " Company vas
officerless, " A " had three isolated g.loups, two
f, orw,ard and unappro,achable, the thi.rd under 2nd
Lieut. Edwarde,s in the Sunken Lan.e. There xxere no
orders and n.o one knew what to do, so C.S.M. Cooper
collected "D " and 2nd Lieut. Edwardes and C.S.M.
Smith c,llectcd all they could find of " A," and both
pl'olonged "C " Company's fine to the le£t. The lane
here was less sunken than on fhe right, and the cover
was ver)" poor, affo.rding little protection against the
enemy's s,hells, xx»hich came from front and flank.
We w.ere now very short of officers. The Adjutant,
Captain J. D. Hills, xxas in command, with Lieut.
Ashd,o«vne as Adjutan,t; 2nd Lieut. Argyle was acting
Liaison Officer with the Staffordsh,ires, so there was
no o.ne else except the M.O. at Headquarters. Captain
Jack, it is true, was a hot in himself, for, when n,ot
tying np th.e wounded, he was alwavs re.ady with some
merrv rernark to cheer us up; we needed it, for out
railwav line xvas as heavilv sheled as the sunken lane.
In addition to the killed and wounded the Companies
had also lost two new subaltern officers who had joined
the previous day and gone awav sligh.tly gassed, while
2nd Lieut. Griffiths, who had g-olne forward wifh the
reconnoitering parties, had n*at been seen since.
Captain Banwell was therefore alone with " C "
Company. Lieut. Steel xx'as at o,nce sent to command
" D," and, on arrival at the sunken lane, at once
received a shell splinter iii the leg; fortunately, how-

CROSSING THE CANAL.

ever, this xxas n,o,t serious, and he and C.S.M. Cooper
were soon hard at work straighoEenig out the
Co,mpany. This \Va.rrant Officer and C.S.M. Smith
of "A " Company" were admirable; it was l.argely due
to them that bo,th Companies, badly shaken after their
gruelling, were within a few h.ours once more fit for
anything. Out sho,rtage of oflacers xvas likelv to
continue, for our onlv " battle detail," Major Burnett,
had iust go,ne to England, to the Senio.r Officers'
Sc.h,ool at Aldershot. Onr casnalties during the after-
n.oon included c,ne xvho could iii be spared. A direct
hit with a shell on " C " Company Headquarters
wounded C.S.M. Angrave i.n the back. He died a few
davs later. One o.f the original Territovials, he had
sern'ed with us the wh,o.le time, and even four vears
of France had fa.iled to lessen his devoti.on to "Ç "
Compa.ny.
Soon after 3-0 p.m. General Campbell himself rode
up to Battalion He.adquarters and after explaining the
situation, pointed out the importance of h,olding a little
group of trenches o.n some high ground three-quarters
of a mile E. of l'reselles. Accordingly" " B "
Cc,mpany" (Hawley), now onh" 25 sttong, were sent
there with two Lewis Guns; at the same time some of
the Monmonthshires were sent to help him. Mean-
while, ail the afterno,o,n and evening, the enemv kept
makin small attacks o.n Mannequin Ridge and
towards Sequehart; several of these were broken up
bv Artillerv tire, and after his firs, t efforts he had no
furtber successes. Our Cavalry, having arrived too
late in lhe morning to pass thronh when the enemv
was reallv disorganized, waited ail dav in the vallev
behind Preselles, and after lo.sing sex'eral men and

32'2, THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

horses in the sbelling, had once more to withdraw at
dusk. Their horses were senrt back, but as many
men as could be spared were sent up dismounted, with
rifles and bayo,nets, to help h,old the " Fonsomme
Line " in case of strong enemy coun.ter attacks. They
did not move up un.til dark and, of course, could not
find the " Fonsomme Line," any more than we could
in the morning, so started to dig where they could.
Fortunatelv the Commanding Oflïcer, going round the
line, found them, and, sending one party up to help
"' B " Company, who were now alone, he and Captain
Banwell guided the rest across the valley, where they
could find some cover on the hill sfide. Had they been
allowed to remain wbere they had started to dig, they
would pro,bably have suffered very he.avily in tho
morning from the Ridge opposite, whence the enemy
xvould have had a beautiful viexv of them.
Ration.s arrived soon after dark. During the after-
non 2nd Lieut. Todd had reeonnoitred a route for his
limbers, and, after a narrxv escape from so,me heavy
shells, had managed to find a passable road. Vith the
limbers came also 2nd Lieut. Griffiths, who had been
xvandering ail over the countrvside in his effo,rts t find
us. By midniffht the companies had their rations and
th.eir mail, and, even in the sunken lane, a stalle could
be seen here and there. The night xvs quiet, and
we were able to collect ail scattered parties and see
what our casualties had been. F,o,rtun.ately the loss
of other ranks xvas n,ot in the saine propo,rtio¢a as of
officers, but we had s,tarted so weak th,at we could iii
afford to lose the sevea killed and 30 wounded which
were o,ur total casualties for the dav. " A " and " D "
Companies had been hardest hit and Lance-Co,rporal

CROSSlNG THE CANAL. 323

Meakin was amo,ngst the killed; Serjeant Vard had
been wounded, Serjean.t Peach of "B " Company had
al's.o bee.n killed, wh.ile "C" Company, in addition to
tbeir Ç.S.M., lost Serjt. Bond gassed and Cpl. Foulds
wounded.
At dawn on the 4th, as there w,as no sign of any
attempted counter-attack on the part of the enemy,
most of the dismounted oav.alrv were withdrawn, and
we remained in our positions of the prevous dav. The
m,orni.n.g was slightly mistv and Battalion Head-
quarters had one bad scare. The Commanding
Officer and Adjutant were out 1.ooking for new
quarters, when they suddenly saw com.ing over the hill
XV. of Sequhart--behind their right flank--a number
of Germans in open order. A batterv of 60 pounders
in Levergies saw them at the same rime a,nd opeaaed
tire at point blank range. It was fully rive minutes
belote a few leisure,lv French soldiers appearing over
the same crest, sh,owed that the Germans were merelv
a large batch of prisoners collected bv the French at
dawn. Throu,e,hout the dav the enemv shelled various
parts of the back area, and in this respect Headquarters
came of*" worst, being more bombarded than even the
sunken road. The bank under which thev sat did not
give them much oo-er, and the Boche m-anaged to
dvo,p his s.hells with great accuracv o.n the Raihvav line
an.d even hit the R.A.P. Bv the afternoon thev were
so tired c,f bei,ng chased backwards and forwards
along the bank that thev followed the example of the
M.O., wh,o with a wonderful display of calmness, which
he did rot in the least feel, sat read.ng a book of poems
and refused to move. He admitted afterwards that
he had not read a line, but it tooked verv well, and as
usual he kept us ail cheerful.

"3 THE FIFTH LEICE$TERSHIRE.

Late in the afternon tle long expectod orders for
rel,ief came and we earnt that we were to corne out
tkat n, ight »ith the Staffordshires. "B "' Companæ
o the left were actuall» relieved, but the other
Compazfies had merelv to wait un.fil the fron.t line
Battain.s »ere cler and then m, arch out. The Boche
shelted H,eadquarters once more just as they were
«oin ad fired a con,siderable amoun,t of gas shells
all o»er the cou.rtDide , but no one as hurt, and
eventuall, s,orne b. Magn?, some b» Joncourt, all
arrived at the little »illage of Etrieourt. Some of us
rolled into dug-outs, some into ruined houses, some in
the fo,ad; all of us murmured " No»»" we shall have
out real test at last,'" and x»ent to sleep--tired out.

CHAPTER XVIII.

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL \VOODS.

5th Oct., 1918. llth Oct., 1918.
OrE n,ight was ail we spent in Etricourt, bitterly
cold but quiet and u.nmolested by the enemy. The
foll'owin,g day, the 5th of September, was bright and
warm, so we at once set about improvi.ng out surround-
ings, s.tarted to bring some of out stores from Magny
La Fsse, and were iust beginning to think we might
make the place fairly comfrtable, when orders came
f.or another m.o'¢e. There was going to be another
battle, and, though we were not tak,ing part, out area
was wan.ted for a Support Division, so we were to go
back acrcss the Çanal, and take over some shelters in
the old frost line trench on th.e Ridge. This sounded
rather cold, but at ail events we were going backwards
to tahat long expected test; not too s,oon, for at middav
an observation ball,oo,n ruade its appearance, and its
section chose Etricurt for their home, with the result
of course of annoying the Boche to such an extent that
he fired some shells over the village. At 5-0 p.m. we
fell in and marched bv RiquelwM Bridge over the Canal
and up to the Ridge, passing the Brigadier on the
mai,n road by the Canal, and round the Brigade u e
were to rel,leve, sitting ver 5" comfortablv in their shelters
and huts. Unfortun,atelv thev had no intention of

3L6 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

movîng until the following m,orning. It as now
6-30 p.m. and vould soon be dark, so we were faced
wi.th tuo altematives--one to sit on the road, send
for the Staff, and wail loudl.v, the other to help our-
s,elves.
The other two Batt;flions chose the former ; we, being
n,ow verv o.ld soldiers, chose the l, atter. An open patch
o,f gound with some good large s, hell hol.es was before
us, we had a tool eart with us, and here and there
might be seen a sheet oir txxo of c'orrugated i.ron. Long
belote it was dark a rhin curl of sm,oke coming out of
the ground, a snatch of song, or someone grousing
in a loud vo,ice, were the onlv indications that there
were four Çompanies of Infa.n.trv living there. The
officers were a li,ttle less f,o,rtunate; kn.oxvi,ng that there
xvere bell tents eoming on thc limbers, they wa.ited for
them. At last they came, and very good tents, too,
but s,omeone had forgotten to bring the poles. In
spite of this, we were soon ail under cover, and in
He,adquarter Mess were actuallv h,a.ving a hot dinner
whea the Staff arrived and informed the other two
Battalions that thcy would now (in the dark) bave to
make the best of whatev.er cover thev culd find.
The following mo,rning our tem poles arrived, and,
having planted thê red, white and black flag outside
the C.O.'s, tent and mounted guard, we felt quite
respectable again. By the aftern,oon we had so far
in.creascd in pride that the Drums hot o,nlv blew
" Retreat," but gave us an excellent concert while the
guards were changed. "Ve expeeted ev,erv hour or so
t.o get orders o. 'o back to some place of .reater
c.omfort for our rest, but thought it best to tak,e no
risks, and, on the morning of the 7th, gave everybody

I:RESN(}¥ AND RIQUERVAL Vt,'OODS. 32'7

a hot bath. T\xo wagon covers and a cooker on the
Canal xçorked wonders in this way. This dav we
lost two naore office.rs--2nd Lie,ut. \Vhetton went on
leave, and Lieut. St,eel had to go to Hospital as the
xx;ound in his leg would hot h.eal. "B " Conapany,
being little larger than an ord,iaary Platoon, L,ieut.
Hawley was transferred to " D," and 2nd Lieut.
Oosgrove commanded " B." Captain Banwell had 2nd
Lieut. Griffit'hs in "C" C.mpa,ny, and 2nd Lieuts.
Edwards and l)enn.is were still with '" A." There
were no other Co,mpany ofiicers, as 2nd Lieut. Argyle
was kep.t at Headquarters fo.r Intelligence work.
Fortuna,laelv 2nd Li,eut. Todd still rem.ained to look
after the Transport, which throughout the fighting had
been excellent, and Capt. Nicho,ls,o,n, though suffering
frona '" flu," stuck noblv to h,is work and looked after
o.ur conafo,rt at the Stores.
J.ust after 10 o'clock on the 7th, orders canae frona
Brigade for a naove on the follow, ing day--forward,
hot further back, and once naore o,ur hopes of the
prona,ised test were dashed. Th,is tinae lhe attack was
going to be made by the other Divisions, and the 46th
was to move at Zero to s,ome assemblv areas round
Magny La Fosse, and wait there in case the enenav
were suffici.e,ntly " broken " to all,'ov of a general
advane. Zero was rive minutes past rivera most
uncomfortable hour for a mo.ve, e,specialay as break-
fas,ts had to be emten beforehand. Almost evervbodv
was in bed before orders cana.e, bu.t there were some
wlo had no sleep that night: the Orderlv Room pro-
ducing o,peration orders, the Quartermaster's depart-
naen.t (whose wagonts arrived at a-0 a.m. !), and the
cooks getting breakfasts ready, were the naost unlucky,

38 THE F1FTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

but so well did ail ranks and ail departments do their
work, th,at at 5-0 a.m. the Battalion fell in ready to
move. Packs had been stacked, ammuni.tion and bombs
distributed, myst important of ail, we had had a
good breakfast. There is no doubt th.at our discipline
and spirit were never better than during those strenuous
weeks.
Seldom bas more bad language been heard than on
that earh" morning match down to the Canal again.
It was half dark and there were Un,ts assembling and
marching in everv direction. Eventually, finding we
should be late at the starting point if we waited for
the Rcgiment which should have been ahead of us,
we decided to go on at once, and set off down the
rough and slippery" track to Riquerval Bridge. AI1 xxent
modertatelv well until a "C " Company limber stuck.
Bef, ore it could be drawn clear, a Company of ano,ther
Regiment marched up and round it, entireh" preventing
out efforts to free it. Curses were toud on both sides,
but n,othing could equa! the fllmv of language that the
txx o Company Commande.rs flung at each other over the
heads of their perspi.ring C<>mpanies.
Eventualh" the limber was on the road again, and we
reaclmd the Bridge, near which the Boche everv few
mi.nutes droppcd a shell. This fact, coupled with a
long line of Artillerv horses going to " water," and
the Brigadier trying to get his Brigade acno.ss the
Cnal, produced an effect which completely eclipsed the
limber scene. However, as we crossed, the Boche
stopped shelling, daylight came and xxe round the road
good, though traffic ruade the rate of march verv slow.
The blaspheming consequently subsided, and, finding
a field track going in the right d, ireotion, we continued

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL XVOOI)S. 329

our m,arch at a fine pace until xxe reached our assembly
p,osi.tio'n--a,n open stretch of grotmd on the South side
of the Magny-Jonc,ourt Road. Along tllis road were
batteri,es of heavv guns, standing almost whe,el to wheel
and firing rapidly, so, in v,iew of possible retaliatio,n,
the Companies were scattered over vari.us li.ttle groups
of trenches iii the neiffbourhood. Th,e cookers came
up and we prepared to make oursclves as comfortable
as pcssiblc, while we once more had the pleasure of
watching the Çavalry waiting to be tised, and cnce
more saw them g.o slowly back.
In the afteriaoon e m.oved into the next valley East-
wards, so as tobe n.earer the " line " if wanted ; there
was al.o botter and les,s s.catte.red accommodation.
Gun pits, dug-outs and the inevitable gra,ssy bank pro-
vided ail we wan.ted, and when, an hour later, some
few gas shells fell in the valley, we were ail snugly
under cover. Ail that is to sav except the o,okers and
with them Srjeant Thomson and h.is cooks ; these were
i-n a shallow stlnken road, and had a shell within a fev
ya.rds of them, fortuaaatelv doing no damage. Thinking
it best to take all the rest we oould, we had the
eve,n,ing meal early, and long befre it was dark most
of the Batta[ion were asleep. The Commanding
Officer himself retired before 9-30 p.m., and was conse-
que.ntly fast asleep w.hen, so«n after I0-0 p.m., a
runner appeared with the usual " B.G.C. vill see all
Commanding Officers at cnce." The rendezvous this
time was Preselles, some two mlles axav across
coun,trv. It was a dark night, but with the aid of a
compass he round his wav there ail right and received
orders from General Rowlev for an immediate more.
The Brigade was lo relieve a Brigade of the 6th

330 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

Divis,io,n in the right British s.ector next the French;
the Battalion would relieve the Vest ¥orks R. in
the right sub-sec,or. The follo«ving morning the
Brigade vould move fo,rvard iato Meicourt vhich was
supposed to have been evacuated by the enem.v; we
vere to be " squeezed o.ut " bv th.e 5th Line. R. and
French joining h,ands across out front, and would
corne int,o support. (;uides would meet us for the reli.ef
at l'resell,es at midnigh, October 8th/gth.
The Commandi«g Olficer at once hurried back to the
Battalon and verballv issued relief o,rders vhile the
Cempa«fies weve falling in. In a little more than half
a,n hur all wcre readv to more, and Companies
marched indcpendently to l'rcselle.s, wh.e,re, under cover
of th.e hill side, the Battalion assembled soon after mid-
night. There vere no guides, so, after vaiting some time
in vain, the C.O. once m,re went t'o Brigade Head-
quarters and asked fcw i«astructins. He vas given a
map refercnce--supposed to be tha.t o,f the Battalion
Hcadquarters o.f the \'est Ycrks., and once more the
Battalio.n moved off. In single file, with no. intel-als
between pla,toens fo,r fear o.f losi.ng touch, and a verv
uncertain l«a,o«vledge of the positi.on of the enemy, we
marched s.l,owlv across com»t.rv towards where we hoped
t,,o final Battali,on Hc.adquavters. Reaching the famus
sunken vo,ad of the battlc of the 3rd, we halted while
a search was marie; we had corne to the place referred
t,o on the map, the-e was nothing there. Fortunatel.x,
just as wc were wo.ndering what on earth to do, two
XV. Vcrrks. guides appeared, led us to their Battalion
Headquarters, and soon afterwards the Co.mpanies
disappeared Eas,twards.
Battalin He.adquartcrs xas in a small cellar under

FRESN(), AND Ri(_..)IERVAL XX'OODS. 331

an isolated bouse jus.t o.utside Scqueh.a,t on the l'reselles
Road. It was a m.ost extraordin.a,rv relief in manv
vays, and perhaps the most extr,ordinarv part was
the scene in that Headquarters. The.re were foar of
us with tbe M.O., rive. \\'est Yorks., a Frecb Inter-
pretr, a Padre, and an indescribable heap of runners
and signllers, to sav nothing of batmen, in a cellar
xvhich might have held four p.eop[e comfortabh. On
one of the beds in the corner lav an ol%cer. N.oticing
that he was nt wea.rinff \V. Yorks badffes, we asked
xvh,o he was. Thev did no,t know, h,e had l)een there
si.nce thev came in and had never moved; " perhaps
he was gassed or dead," thev remarked casuallv. This
was ty'pical of how we all feh, much to tired to worrv
over other people's tro.ubles. As it bappened he was
not dead, and, though to this dav we have never dis-
covered who he was, be eventualh- disappeared---going
out to look for his oxx Regime,nt. Fo.r some hours
we sat in the most terrible atmosphe.re waiting for the
relief to be finisaed, and at last, just as dawn was
breaki.ng, as three C<)mpanies had reported that thev
were in position, we agreed to Imke over the line, and
the \V. ¥orks. marched outto take part in some other
hattle f.urther North. As soon as thev had gone, the
Ç.O., with a map in one hand and a slice of bread
and jam in the other, went up to look at out front line
and se.e whether the Boche had rellv left Merlcourt.
The Battalio,n sector was astride the Sequehart-Meri-
court Rk)ad w'hich tan due East along the vallev South
of Mannequin Ridge. Seque.hart village and the vallev
were both full of mist and gas wh,ich hung about in
patches, and made walking verv unpleasant. There
were manv German dead round the village and in the

332 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

ccncrete emplacements of the Eon, somme line, and the
fighti,ng in this part must bave bee.n heavv. Keeping
/o the main road, the C.O. found "B "' Company
at a small cross-roads about oene m,ile East o.f Seque-
hart; "A " Company, accordi-ng to the \\'est ¥ork-
shires, should also h'ave been here, but as this was the
Coaïpany  hich had not vet reported " relief complete,"
he vas not surprised when he could n,ot find t_hem.
At the next cross-roads, half a mlle short of Mericourt,
were " C " and " D " Companies on the right and left
respectively of th-e road. Small patrols had alreadv
bcen out towards the village and had not found anv
en,emy, and both C, ompanies were now engaged in
finding the Units on their flanks. On the left a post
of the Lincolnshires as s.oon round, and on the right
the French were onlv a few vards aw¢tv. The liaison
here was perfect. After an excha«lge off courtesies bv
the Company Commanders, the flank po.sts fraternized
vigorously, and the Frenchmen, bv producing some
" Jimmy Blink," cemen.ted the E»tente Cordiale.
Tbev were in great spirits, and since dawn had been
formed up xvith bayonets fixed, waiting to make an
attack; " Zero" hour had hot been told them, but
that did no worrv them in the least. To improve the
co-operation between us, the French sent a plaoon
under a Subattern officer to work with us.
Bv 6-30 a.m. the mist had lifted enough for us to.
s.ee Mericourt village plainly, and a strong patrol under
2nd Lieut. Gritfiths was sent out to recnnoitre it.
Thev met with no oppo.stion. A few minutes later, a
mounCed OfiScer of the Staffordshires, without stopping
a,t our front line o ask about th-e situation, rode into
he village. \Ve wê're ail much too interested in

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL XVOODS. 333

watching to sec what became of bim, to think of
warning h,irn that the Boctae rnight s.till be there. Soon
afterwards, as there was sill no sign of the en.erny,
" C " Oo,rnpany rnoved into and occup,ied the East side
of the village, and " B ' 'and " D " Cornpanies rnoved
on to the XVest edg.e. Messages were sen.t back to tell
Brigade that we held Mericourt, and to bring the
Headquartcrs up there--at present they were about
thrce rniles back. Frorn "C " Cornpany's pos.ition on
the high ground East of thc village we lookcd across
a large valley, at the North end of x.hich could be seen
Fresnox" le Grand; along the b,otto,m ran the main
Fresrov-St. Quentin Railway, and on the other side
a collection of srnall copses was rn.arked on the rnap
as Bois D'Etaves. Nowhere was there the slightest
sign of the enernv. In view of the fact that ve were
particularly ordered to be in Support if an advance
was rnade, the C.O. would n,ot push on further without
,orders f0,rn the Brigadier. Meanwhile, he went off to
look for the rnissing " A " Cornpany, leaving the three
Cornpanies, " B," " C " and " D," htoldàng the
village and watching the vallev.
At 7-30 the leading pla.toon of t'he 5th Linc. Regt.
came up on our lef.t, and about an hour later the
French started their advance, and, passing Mericourt
on the S.outh side, dep[oye.d down the slopes towards
the Railwav line.
As soon as General Rowley heard that Merieourt
was in out hands, he rode up to the village and
reconnoitred the valley and Fresnoy hirnself frorn "C "
Cornpany's high gro.und. Seeing that the Frenca were
meeting nothing rn.ore than ma¢hin,e gun tire, and were
a.pparently rnaking ood progress, he ordered Captain

3 THE F1FTH LE1CESTERSHIRE.

Banwell to move at once into Fresaqov; there was no
one else available at the m.omen., so we ceased to be
in Support. The main road had been blown up in
txvo places, but there were no o,ther o'bstacles, and the
Company reached the to,wn witlout difficultv. The
machine gun tire had been vry heavy from the
Bois l)'Etaves on tbeir right an.d from t-he Railway
cmbankment, but th.ey lmd had n,o casualties, and
pa.ssed rapidly along the streets, findi,ng no enem.x, but
meefi-ig to the'ir surprise several civil[ans, who, over-
joyed at their " deliverance," were doi,ng ail thev could
with cups .of eoffee to wel«ome their rescuers.
For four vears these unhappy people had lix'ed under
the heel of the German, and the rotting carcases of
six-mnths' de.ad lmrses which littered the street showed
what lire thev had lived duri,ng that rime. They had
been taught to hate the English, wlmm thev onlv
knew as night-b.ombers, and yet, when the Boche was
being hunted out and offe,red to take all civilians back
to safetv in mot.or lorries, 300 men, women and
children, headed bv the Deputy Mayor, heroicallv
refused to leave ther town, pre.ferring, as they said,
t;o risk the bombardment and the " brutal Engl.ish "
than to remain o«e da)" loeger in slaverv.
At 9-0 o'clock, otler Units ruade their appearance
in Fresnoy, and the 5th Lincolnshires, with two Com-
pany Headquarters in the Quarry just outsde the S.\V.
corner of the town, pus.hed some platoo'ns through to-
wa.rds the Eastern edge--on the righ¢E of our " C-"
Company. Capt. N,ichots of th,is Battalicm had hs
Company round t'he large bouse used bv the Germans
as a Hospi¢"al, but, except for his, no one seemed
inclined to push forward in anv stregth. At 11-0 a.m,

FRESXOY AND RIQI.ERVAL "VOODS. 335

the Brigadier moved his Headquarters into Mericourt,
and the Boche, presumably thinldng the village was
now as full as it was likely to be du,ri, ng the da!', shelled
it vigorously with gas and High Explosive. He paid
particular attenticm to our ridge of observation, and,
havi'ng pounded us off this, proceeded to hammer the
other end of th.e village, wbi.ther we had moved for
greater comfort. At the same rime several salvoes
were fired if»to Fresn,oy. Soon afterward-s a message
from Cptain Banw.ell told us that, with the exception
of the Railwav and Station, the whole tcwn was in our
hands. He had tried hard to reach the Railway Em-
bankment from his side of the tcn, but the machine
gun tire was very hot, the groun,d absolutely open,
and after [osing Gosden, a Lmvis Gunner, killed, and
one or two men woundcd, had decided to wait for some
Artitlery. Mean.vhile, the Fren,cfi had reached the
Raihvav further $outh, sothe C.O .sent Lieut. Hawley
with half " I)" Company to try and take the Stati,0a
from this side. He moved off to do so at midday,
leaving C.S.M. Cooper to coa'nmand the other half
Company. "A "' Company (Edards) now arrived,
and, with "B " Co.mpany (Cosçr.ove), dug themselves
in.to a bank on the South side of Mericourt village.
Lieut. Hawley and his party ruade their way rapidly
down to the Quarry, and keeping just inside the
Southern cmtskirts of the town, soon round the French
left flank, from which they were able to recnnoitre the
Raihvav Sta.tio.n. This last scemed t,o be the onlv place
vhere the enemv was still offeri:ng any resistance, and
there were apparently three madine guns s.omewhere
near the Base of a large factorv chim,nev in the Station
vard. Lieut. Hawlev divided his party into two, and

336 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

while he himself gradually wo,rked his way direct, the
other part)' under Serjt. Marston, M.M., armed with as
many bo,mbs as they oald carry, rapidly ruade their
way round towards the enemy's rear. The Boche
apparen,t.ly th.ought he wo.uld s.oon be turned out, and
some twentv of them, hurried along by one of out Lewis
Guns, managed to escape belote we arrived. However,
they did n.ot all get away, and xxhen Serjt Marston
lo,bbed his bo.mbs .on to them ff.oto behiad and the others
came up in front, they round rive Gea-m.ans still sitting
there with their gun. These were promptly captured
and sent d,ow, n, and the to«vn was nov entirely in our
hands.
Be.tx een 5-0 and 6-0 p.m. we received orders that the
5t.h Lineolns,hires would take over the whole of the
Railway, and that we were to oeme back into Mericourt
and rest as much as possible. At the saine rime the
enemy started to bombard Fresnov wi.th every available
gun a.nd hmitzer. For an hour gas a.nd high exptosive
shells fell in every corner of the town and its immediate
»urr.oundi«gs. Capt. Banwell, who was returning t.o
his Company from Headquarters, and the C.O., who
was trying to find "D " Company, both had a very
unpleasant time. One runner with the orders for the
elief did ma.nage to rech "D " Company without
being hit, and soon after 8-30 p.m. they moved out from
Fres.nov and dug in,to a bank just outside Mericourt.
" C " Company, ho.wever, no me was able to find ; it
was a dark night and co.rtsequenfly ver 3- difficult to keep
one's direc.lion amongst the little stree.ts and sunken
lanes in the Nortbern end of the t«vn, where thev had
taken up thcir posiio,n. The C.O. himself spent a
large part of the night l0,oking for them vithont success,

I:RESNOY AND RIQUERVAL XVOODS. 337

but one of the messlages, which he left at every p.o.st and
Hcadquarters he caJled at, eventua[l- found its way to
Ç«lpt. Banwell, ald beteen mid.nigh,t and 1 a.m. on
the 10th "' C " Çompan.v at last came out and occupied
a bank near " D " Co,mpa.ny. Io,st of us had hot
had anv sleep since we left out " shell-ho.les " Camp at
dawn o,n the 8th--some of us none since the 7th, and
when we finallv lay d,own, tired out, we slept far into
the next dav.
S.oon after middav on the 10th Iajo,r R. S. Dver
Bc.net reported fo,r duty and took ov.e'r command of the
Battali.on, Capt. Hills resumed his former duties of
Adjutant, and for the next few weeks we had no
Second in Comm.and. At the saine rime orders came
that the Brigade ,,ould continue its a.dvance on the
' leap-frog " principle. Eaeh Ba,ttali,n ,ould be g'iven
a defin,ite o,bjective for the whole of the Brigade
fro,n,tage, the re'af Battal.io.n passing on to the next line
as soon as each obit:et,ire was ga[ned. We we,re now
rear Battalion, and m.oved after dinne,rs to the Railwav
C-utting just outside Fresnov on the Bohain line, where,
while we ,vaited for further orders, we h'ad teas and
distr.ibuted ratiorrs fo,r the followi.ng dav. The Lewis
Gu.n limbers and c.o.o.kers were now allotted to Com-
panies, and the rem.ainder of tle 1st Line Transport
occupied a field cl,os.e to us. 2nd Lieut. Dun.lop,
I).C. 3I., and 2nd Lieu,t. Tavlo.r returne.d from leave and
wen.t to " D " and " C " Companies respectively.
Li.eut. Ashd.owne again became Intelligence Ollcer and
2nd Lieut. Argyle returned to "B " Compan). Eac.h
C,mpa.ny had now two otîqcers and " C " Çompany had
three. So,on after s:ix o'clock we had orders to more
at dusk to the line of the Ais,onville-Bohain road, now

338 THE FIFTH LEICESTER.'4HIRE.

held bv the 4th Battalion, and push forward from there
to the edge of th.e Bois de Riquerval. At the same time
a patrol of Corps Cvclists was being sent along the
main road towards Regnicourt, and if they reported that
the enemy had evaouated this village, o,ur orders were
to advance during the night to a line running South-
wards feom there, through the Bois, Io gain t<)uch with
tbe French at Retheuil Farm. At a Co.mpany Com-
manders' Conference, held as so,o.n as these orders vere
received, Major Dyer Benn.et decided that if Regnicourt
was cl.ear of the enemy, "C " an.d " D " Companies
should advance up the main road as far a.s the village,
and, on reaching it, turn Southwa.rds into the Bois,
spreading out along the line of out objective. " A "
Company, keeping toucb wit'h the French, were to
advance up the " ri,de " on the Sou.thern boundarv of
the Brigade, while " B " Company, fo.llowed bv Head-
quarters, would go straight through the wood in the
centre. \Ve would ail form up in the present positions
of the 4th Leicestershire and start our advance witl»out
a barrage at 2-0 a.m.--the llth o,f October.
As soon as it vas dark we moved off vith out Lewis
Gun limbers and medical cart, keeping as far as possible
t, cro.ss-coun.trv tracks and avoiding ail main voads.
Tbere was s.ome gas hanging rou.nd the Bois D'Etaves,
but ve were not worried bv this, and soon reached the
Seboneourt-Boh.ain load, held bv the 5th Li.ncoInshires.
From here onwards the route was rot so easy to find,
but v.e m,anaged to take out limbers to x,ithin a few
hun,dred vards of the th Batlati.on Headquarters and
here, after distributi.ng Lewis Gu.n,s and Ammunition to
Plaoon,s, the Companies were met by guides and moved
forward to their assemblv positions. Meanwhile

Lieut. J. C. Barrett, 1/.OE.

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 339

Battal.ion He'adquarters moved irto the farm bouse
already occupied by t'he 4th Battali,o,n. In the cellar
we f.ound, in addition to the usual Headquarter Officers,
a French Int.erpreter, and part of a French Liaison
platoon, no a, ir, very little ligh.t, but plenty of tobacco
smoke. Soon a%er we arrived a message from Brigade
told us that the Cyclists had met with n,o esaemy as far
as Regrfi,eourt, but had found a patrol of about twenty
in that village and had been fired on by tlaem. "We vere
discussing this, when sudde'nly there was a scuffling
.cxerhead and we w.ere told that there was " something
ticking sornewhere," and that every.one h.ad left the
bouse. The cellar occupan.ts vere hot slow to follo.w,
and thinking of time-bombs an.d infernal machines
manag'ed to empty the cellar in a rec.ord time.
setfled down u.nco.rnfortably under a hedge, an.d
prepared to read and write ord-ers with a concealed
electric torch--uhe maximum of diseomf.ort. However,
we did no,t bave to stay there long, as a runner came t,o
tell us that the origin of the " ticking " had now been
discovered, and, as it was nothing more formidable thon
the recently wo.und up dining room dock, we returned
to the cellar. Major Dver Bennet, a.rguiag that, if the
Cyclists could get as far as Regn,itourt, we should reach
our objective without difficulty, decided that the attack
should be carried out as arranged, and, sending the
Adju'tant to find the 6th Divisio,n, moved up himself to.
the Ais,cnville Road, leaving only the Aid Post and some
Signallers and sewants at the Farm.
The Aisonville Road ra-n almost due N. and S;o.uth
along a valley; between it and the edge of the Bois de
Riquerval was open ground for about 300 vards sloping
gently up t,o Che xx:ood. A s,mall cottage marked the

30 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

start of " A " Co,mpany's " ride," and the stretch of
road immediately N. of this was deeply sunken. Here
" A " C,ompany formed up and tr[ed to find the Freneh
,ho were coesiderably further South than we expe¢ted.
Incidentallv they were hot as far forward as we were,
and the Boche enfiladed the fo.ad about midnight with a
whizz-bang battery from the South. "B " Company
formed up in an is.olated copse about 100 yards East of
the voad into which t'he 4th Battalon had ruade their
wav during the aftern,oo.n. The left half Battalion
remained along the road bank and in a drv ditch 50
yards \V. of it, near o the junction with the Regrdcourt
Road up which they we, re to advance. There was one
solitary house, protected bv the hillside, which provided
C, ompany Hcadquartcrs with a certain amount of cover.
The night xws dark and the en.emy, except for the
whizz-bangs on " A " Company, very qui.et.
Soon after midniht the Adjurant returned from the
6th Division. He had round that the 1st Leicester-
shires were on their right flank, and t.h.at they were
-oing to continue their advance at 5-15 a.m. on the
llth. Mai.or Dver Bennet therefore decided to post-
pone our attack until that h,our, so that we might all go
f, orward t.ogether. In anv case it seemed likeJy that this
would be a better plan, as it would be daylight soon
after the advance s.tarted; and, on so wide a frcmtage,
it would bave been almost impossible to maintain
direction in the woods by niht, especially without a
moon. At 5 o'clock we were ail formed up along the
road, Battalion Headquarters close to " A " Company,
and a,t 5-15 a.m. in a.bsolute silence and without a
barrage xve started to ct.imb the ris,e towards the edge of
the wood.

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL ,VOODS. Jl

The left half Battaion along the Regnicourt Road
ruade most progress without meeting any opposition.
'" D " Company leading', they advanced bv platoo,ns on
both sides of the road, keepi.ng" touch with the 1st
Battalion on their left, and had g'one nearly a mlle
before they were checked bv mach,in.e-gun tire ahead of
them. Half-way from their starting poi.n.t to Regni-
court stood a little group of honses at the top of a
small hill, and from here, as well as from the thick
scrub and underKrowth which co«-ered the country on
both sides, the enemy's machine gun.ners had a good
taret. Tlinking that this was probably some small
post left be.hind bv the Boche as he retired, and knowing
that th.e cvctists had been thro,uh the previous night,
Lieut. Hawley declded to attack at once, and "D "
Company, making use of ail the cover they could find,
worked their wav up the hill and sooe captured the
bouse. One German came out inlo the road with his
machi.ne gun and started to tire at them point blank,
but the leading Plato:m got their Le,vis Gun irto action,
and, kn.ocking out the Boche, captured the gun. The
two leading Pl.atoe.ns of " D " Comlaany had deployed,
and, with 2nd Lieut. Dunl.op on the left of the road and
the others on the right, tried to con.ri'nue their advance.
Seen from below, the group of bous.es had seemed to
b.e on the top of the hill, but bevond them the fo.ad,
after a slight dip, rose again to a ridge 300 vards
further East, and here the enemv xere in considerable
force. Several gallant attempts to advance were
frustrated bv verv heavv machine gun tire, and having
los.t Se, rjts. Bradshaw and Dimmocks killed, and several
others wounded, the Company was compelled to remain
lying fiat just bev.cad the houses. One little party had

:32 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

take.n cover in the ditch along th.e roads,ide and were
seen bv the German machine gun.ner. The ditch became
a death trap. Hodges and Lcmgd,n, the runners, and
Maw, the Signaller, were kill.ed, and Hall, ano.ther
runner, badlv wounded; Serjt. Foster and L/Cpl.
Osborne, b,oth ,of whom had done particularly good
work, were w.0,unded, and the casualties were very
heavv indeed. In half-an-hour this Company lost 10
ldlled 14 wounded and o,ne prisoner. It was obvious
th,at tbe Cvclists had never been fu:rther th.an these
bouses, whfich they must have m.istaken for Regnicourt,
and their repo.t:t was consequently w<rthl,ess.
Capt. Banxv,ell now arrived wiCh t»o platoons of "C"
Company, and thinking it possible that the Compani.es
on the right migh.t noet bave go,t as far even as "D "
Ço.mp,any, decided to pço.tect the right flank from anv
possible cou.nter-attack. He sent off Serjt. Tunks and
No. 11 Plaloo,n to p,m.long " D " Company's line to the
right; thev did this and managed to advance a few
vards further before beinR" compelled to dig in and keep
very fiat bv the enemv's machine guns. A few minutes
later 2nd Lieut. Griffiths foll.owed with h.i.s platoon, to
work Southwards into the woods to try and find the
cen.tre Çompany, or at least discover how they were
s.ituated. Thev managed to advanc.e about 400 yards
before thev to.o met with tierce oppos?doaa, and had
three men cut off and captured by a s,trong party of
Boche concealed in the undergr, o.xxth. Eventually,
un.able to find any trace of " B " Co.mpany, 2nd Lieut.
Griffiths decided to " dig in " wher.e he was, and bv
doing so extended " C " Company-'s line s'till furtber to
the ri.ht, bending back slightly to prooEect the flank.
At 8-0 a.m. the 1st Bàttalion on the left had reached

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL ,VOODS. 34,3

the same line and were similarlv held up. Capt.
Banwell therefore repolt.ed to Headqu.arters that further
advance without artillerv support was impossible, and
that "C" and "D " Cornpanies wcre h.olding a line
rulming Southwards for 400 yards frorn the group of
h,ouses, into the Bois de Riqu.erval, and wo,uld wait
there for instructions.
Meanwhile the centre and right had fared even worse.
In the centre " t3 " Company, forrned up originally in
an isolated copse, moved forward at 5-15 a.rn. in two
parties towards the ma.in part of the wood. The left
hand party under '2nd Lieut. Argylc h,ad plenty of co.ver
for the first half-rnile and pusJaed on rapidly', until,
corning over a srnall crest into the open, they too met
with heavv rnachine-gun tire. After several ineffectual
efforts to advance, thev dug thernselves in and rernained
there for the rest o,f the day, replying to the Boche tire
with their Lewis Guns, but with no visible effect. (lt
was aftcrwards discovercd that this party were less than
100 vards behind 2nd Lieut. Griffiths' platoon, unabl.e to
see each other owing to a " fold " in the ground). The
othe.r h'alf Cornpny under 2nd Lieut. Cosgrove started
their advance acr.oss an absolutely open patch of
ground, slopin.. gently downwards towards the centre
of the woods. Thev had gone a few yards when the
day'l,ight sho,wed their position to the Boche, and for the
next half-hour they suffered heavily. Lying on the
forward slope, :ith no cover, they saw 50 yards awav
on their right two small but dee.p trenches. One rnan
tried to run there and was hit a few yards from thern ;
another had better luck and got there safel, throuffh a
perfect strearn of bullets fmm three guns. '2nd Lieut.
Cosgrove hirnself wa.s badlv rounded and had to be

:4 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSH1RE.

carried out, so also was Serjt. Muggleston. The others,
sorne crawling and sorne running, gradually collected in
the two trenches and rernained there for the rest of the
dav.
On the extrerne right "A " Cornpany (Edxvards)
rnade no headwav at ail. Between the road and the
edge of the wood was about 150 yards of open ground,
across which tan a Z-shaped hedge, while, at the point
where the '" ride " entered the wo.o.d, stood a Chateau
and a large black hut comrnanding all the country
round. Day'light carn.e soon after they left the road
and with it a burst o,f heavy rnachin.e-gun tire frorn the
Chateau at clos.e range, which split the Company into
three parts. Headqu,arters and one platoo.n found sorne
cover round the little house on the crner where they
started; near thern in a bank was 2nd Lieut. Dennis
with h,is platoon, while the rernainder, under Cpls.
Thornpslon and Shilton, were in the Z-shaped hedge,
urmble to sh,ow thernselves without being fired at. On
their right the French had captured Retheuil and Forte
Farrns.
At 5-20 a.rn., Major Dver Bennet, fi, nding it irnpos-
»ible to see anything of " A "' and '" B "' Cornpanies,
decided fo advance his Headquarters, keeping as far as
possible to the centre of the Brigade fr,ontage. Accrn-
p,an,.ied by the Adjutant, R.S.M., a few runners, and the
Fren«h Interpreter, he set off for the edge of the wood,
which was reached xithout lo.ss; but the oeernv's
machine gun's at the Chateau, 200 yards away on the
rig-ht, and sligh,tly below us, plain, ly told us that " A "
Cornpany had not gone f,o,rward. A sirnil.ar distmace
awav on the le.ft, conce31ed bv a wall and the co.rner of
the wood, another gun was firing across at "'B '"

FRESNO$." AND RIQUERVAL .VOODS. 34,5

Compan.v, wh.o could be seen on th:e o.p.posite hillside
trying to reach the cover o.f their two trenches. The
Headquarter part.,," was too small to be able to help, so
while the Adjuta»t went back to try and find some
reinf, orcements, the Interpreter, Hen,ri Letu, ruade a
most gall.ant reconnaissance into the wo,ods to see if he
could gather anv information. The " reinforcements
consisted of a plat.oon of French soldiers, a Lewis Gun
team of the 4th Ba.ttalion and two sign.allers. At the
sme rime the M.O. and Intelligence Officer (Lieut.
Ashdo.wne) arrived, and the latter, taking two men with
him, socn d.vove out the enemy from the " co.rsaer wall "
post o.n the left. The Battalion Headquarter flag was
hung o.ut in a conspicuous tree, signal communicatio.n
was oçened with the original Headquarter Farmhouse,
a.nd at about 8 o'clock the party was sfill further
reinforced bv the arrival of Cpl. Th,ompson and No. 1
Plat.o.on of "A " Company, whom the Adjutant had
discovered under the "Z " shaped hedge. AIl these
m.ovements h.ad to be carried out with great care, as
any visible activitv at once drew tire from the Chateau.
This Chateau Major Dver Bennet now decided to
attack, and soon after 9.0 a.m. a part.v consisting of
No. 1 Platoon and some Frenchmen set off uder the
Adjutant Izo do so. Cpl. Sh.ilto.n and a few men were
sent through so.me gardes to engage the enemy
their right flank; the Lewis gun, under Cpl. Thompso,n,
went tho,ugh the woods to trv aud attack the buildings
from the rear; the Frenchmen advancing stilI further
into. the woods, protected the left flank. Çpl. Thomp-
son's part.v were s.oon engaged. They had pushed
forward rapidly for about 50 vards when suddenlv Pte.
Unde.l'wood, who was leading, jumped behind a tree

6 THE F1FTH LE1CESTERSH1RE.

and fired. Nine Boches seemed to come out of the
gro.und almost at our feet, and for a few minutes there
was some lively fighting rund the trees. The Germans
managed to kill Pte. Blythe, a verv old so,ldier of the
Battal{on, and then ruade off, leaving one wounded man
behind th.em. This little fight had given the alarm to
the party in the Chateau, and though Cpl. Thompszn
pushed forxxard with great courage it was too late to
catch them, and we entered the house and grounds with-
out furthe.r opposition. The fall of the Chateau enabled
the remainder of " A " Company tx) advance and occupy
the edge of the wood, which thev at once did, putting
out several posts round the buildings. The Adjutant's
party then returned .t'o Battalion Headquarters which
had been left ver»" weak during the attack. Soon after-
wards, as the situation now seemed fairly satisfactorv
the xxlounded prisoner was sent down under the -Ith
Leic. Lewis Gun Secticn, who were no longer required.
At 10-0 a.m. we were iust oonsidering the possibility
of pushing f, orward still further when a sudden brst of
machin,e gun tire, sxvee-ping low over out positiors, drove
us to eover. The Fren,ch had apparen.tly been counter-
attack.ed out of Retheuil and Forte Farms and the
Boche from these new positions overlooked us
completely. Under cover of this tire a strong hostile
eou.nter-attack was launched against the Chateau, and
"A " Company were once more driven back to the
road, leaving seve.ral men prisoners behind them. But
the road too was no,w overloked and, though sunken,
xx;as no protec.tion, so that, unable 15o stav in it, thev
moved to a small bank on the XV. side of it and dug in
there. 2nd Lieut. Edwards was wo.unded and sent
down, and the Company was commanded bv _°nd Lieut.

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL WOODS. 37

Dennis. At Headquarters, L/Cpl. Ext,on, who had just
arrived with a message fvom " B " Co,mpany, was killed
aad a s.tretcher-bea, re.r badlv wounded. Capt. Jack,
the M.O. went off t, tend the latter, and was himself
badlv hit in the bodv; an,other stvetcher-bearer was hit
try.ing to get to him, and for a short rime he had to be
left. A few minutes later the enemy's tire slackened;
the M.O. was carried away, and, though he lived to
reach the Ambulance, died there in the evening.
Captain Jack had been with us just a year, and we felt
ver 3" kenlv the loss of his cheevful pre'sence at Ba.ttali,cm
Headquarters, for he was one .of hose men who were
never depressed, and even in the worst of places and at
the wors,t of times used to keep us happy.
The Adjutan.t n.ow went back again t.o the old Farm
House t.o see if he could find out what had happened to
the other tvo Companies. The 4th Leicestershires had
been relieved, and the 5th South Staff.ordshires had
taken over the Farm and were now preparlng to relieve
us in the line if possible. Captain Salte.r was there
from Brigade Headquarters and undero<k to send relief
ordes t,o the L.eft half Battalion, h,ose posi¢ion was
iiow kn.own.
Meanwhile the South Staffordshir, es mo.ved up to the
copse whenee " B " Comp.any had started, and a Com-
pany occupied the line along the bottom of the "Z "
hedge to the " xvall and corner " pos,itioni.e., about
200 vards behind the line held by Battalion H,ead-
quarters and " A " Company. The relief o,f tfre Left
hall Bat.talion, though difficult, was carried out in day-
light, and was complete by 11-.30 a.m., largely owing to
the energy of the Staff, ordshlre Company Commanders.
Cross.ing the crest bv the group of bouses xvas bv no

48 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

means an easv matter, and both relievers and relieved
had to crawl through the scrub, in hich 2nd Lieut.
F. G. Tavlor of "Ç " Comp.any did particularly go.od
xvork, while for " D " Company C.S.M. Cooper worked
magn.ificen.tly. Three Platoon Serjeants had become
oasualt{es and this \\'arrant Olficer did all their work
himself, renderilg invaluable assistance to his Company
Cmlnand er.
The relief of Battalion Headqu.arters and the Right
hall Battalioa was impo,ssible during daylight, and the
«;.O.C. 137th Infanl:rv Brigade took over the command
of the line as soon as our " C " and " D " Co.mpanies
were relieved, while the test of our Brigade moved back
inm billets at Fresnoy le Grand; we were to follow
wh.en relieved. Meanwhile, arrangements were being
m.ade t'or s,ome Artille W and Tank support, and it was
proposed to try a furtaer advance during the afternoon.
At the same rime the Chateau was reeaptured from us,
the position on "he edge of the wood had becwme so
badlv enfiladed that the He.adquarters moved out and
started o dig a new line in the open, where, as the
Staffordshi,res were holding the " wall and corner '"
position, we wele fairlv sale. About mid-day, ho.wever,
as ,the enemv had become quiete.r, we returned once
more to the edg.e of the ood. It was never verv
oomfortable in this isolated position, but Lieut.
Ashdowne and R.S.M. Lovett s,howed the most
wonderful coolness, and were oontinuallv out looking
for new positions or watch.isag th.e flanks. At 2-0 p.m.
th.e Staffordshires received orders that they would have
the help of tw.o Tanks fo.r their attack, which would
start at 4-0 p.m. fro.m the isv)lated oopse. At about
3-0 p.m. the enemv again started to enfilade out wood

FRESNoY AND RIQUERVAL "WOODS. 349

position so badly, that for the las.t time we decided to
leave it and came back to out line in the open, which
we deepe.rted as quickly as po,s.s-[ble; it was hard work
a,s the men lmd to dig with tl»eir entrenching tools
as thev [av fiat. \Ve had not, h,owever, been long in
this position belote the Staffordshires behind us with-
drew to form up for the attack, and, tkough the party
at the "Z " hedge remained, the other party left the
" wall and corner " unprotected. .Meanwhile, thinking
that, if not relievcd soon, we s.hould be surrounded from
the right flank, .Major l)ver Bennet went back to
recon,noitre s)me deep short lengths of trenches about
100 yards in rear, dccidi.ng that if the attack did not
prove success.ful he ould bring B.attalion Headquarters
back into them.
At 4-0 p.m. there was no sign of the attack, lnstead,
a German machine gun cre.w returned to the now empty
" wall and corner " position and started to enfilade out
left flank, m.aking the bill side alm,os,t uncrossable. The
C.O. deeided to wit.hdraw at once, aud at 4-30 p.m. the
runner, Blindley, set off with the message. It was a
bazardous journey, but he suceeeded i crawling to
witbin a few vards of the end man and passed a
rn, essage a[ong. Steadied bv the R.S.M., the party
started one by one to withdraw, whŒEle the enemy kept
up a heavy tire at t'hem. Fkxr a momen-t it looked as
though it would be impossible to get back, but Pte.
Cau-nteç--Lewis Gunner of N.o. 1 P]a.toon--ealmly
rnounted his nn and " traversed " the whole edge of
the wood. The Boche were silenced for the moment,
and the party, mak,ing a rush at th.e saine rime,
rnanag'ed to reach the trenches in safetv. Last of ail
Caunter calmlv picked up lais gun and came away

350 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

h,imself, fived at, but never hit. Half-an«hour later two
tanins atppeared, and ke.epin on the Vest side af the
Aisonville R,oad, climbed the rise towards Retheuil
Farm. rVhether th,e enemy imained a gen,eral attack
»as coming, or merely mated to make the ro,ad
dang.erous, is hot known, but at 5-0 p.m. he star.ted to
bombard the ar, ea at the foot of the " Z '" shaped hedge,
• vhere a Company o-f Staffords.hires, our Battalion Head-
quarers, and cur "A "' Company were all athered,
and for nearly an trour gas and H.E.s.hells of every
cal,ibre fell ail round. Ther.e was l.ittle or no cover,
and had the s'hells been ail H.E.t.he casualties would
bave bee.n tremendous. As it was we escaped lightly,
but th,e valley became full of gas and we could see
n.cthing. The posifion was bad, so Major Dver Bennet
order.ed a general xx,ithdrawal to a 1,inc along high
gound on both sid,es of the Aiso,nville-road--the
remi.ns of "B " Company under Lieut. Ashdowne to
th,e left and "A " Company tlo the right. Here we
once more du K a line of pits, and by 7-30 p.m. had out
new positi.on in fighting condition, wh.ile a succession of
explosions, coming from t»o blazing heaps near
Retheuil Farm, showed how the Tanks ,had fared. The
wh.oie of these opera.tions h'ad begn most diflàcult and,
in addition to those wh,o had been eoinspicu.ous in the
attack on the Chateau in the morning, manv other
N.C.O.'s and men sh.owed the utmost courag, e and
cooln.ess. A/C.S.M. Smith, of "A " Compan.v, and
Serjts. YVilbur and Swift and Cpl. Hubbard of Battalion
Headquarters, orked part'icularly well.
At 8-0 p.m. we were relieved by the 5th South
Staff<)'rdshires and, after plaoing Le'i,s Guns on the
limbers, which had been waiting ail dav for us behind

FRESNOY AND RIQUERVAL XVOOD.'q. 3,51

the farm, wen't to Fresnoy. It can h.a,rdly be called a
march, and few of us remember much about it. Those
on hors.es slept, thos,e on f,t wal.ked in their slee.p and
o.ke up hencver t3ere was a h.alt, bec.ause they hit
their he'ads against the haversacks of the men in front.
Soon after 11-0 p.m., tired out, ve reaehed Fresnoy
and dropped down in th.e billets the R.ight h'alf Ba-ttalio,n
hd fio,und fo.r us, m.urmuring as we did so--" Now we
shall bave our rest."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE LAST F[GHT.

12th Oct., 1918. llth Nov., :!.918.
TUE following day--the 12tb of October--our bopes
of the long expected test were still further raised by the
news that General Rowley was going to England on
leave, for we all knew th:at h.e would never be absent if
there were anv prospect of a fight, and we accordingly
began at once to make ourselves aomfortable. Fuel
was plen-tiful, and baths were so.on fitted in "C '"
Company's factory, while in another part of the saine
build[ng we round and used an excelleat concert room.
R.S.M. Lovett also went on leave, taking xoith him to
Loughborough one or two small battle trophies, includ-
ing out Headquarter flag, hich had sen so much
fighting during th.e past few weeks. Many of "B "
.Company's gassed men now retur.ned, and these, with
a large draft of N.C.O.'s and men, pr.oved a welaome
reinforcement, but we still had verv few officers. The
new draft was composed mostlv of young sldiers who
had hot seen service belote, but fortun.atelv this did hot
matter, as we st]ll had a number of out experienced
junior N.C.O.'s left, and some " new blood " was
useful.
Meanwhile the Staffordshires staved in the line, and,
as bv the 13th t'here was no prospect of their being

THE LAST F1GHT. 353

relieved, we were not surpris,ed on lh.e 14th to receive
some more battle orders, and ocrsign our rest hopes,
1,ik.e their predecessors, to an early grave. It appeared
that all frontal attacks on Riquerval YVood had proved
disastrous, and, although the 6th |)ivision on the left
had reached the outski.rts of Vux Andigny, out
Divisional front was still the saine as we had left it on
the l lth. The new attack, to take place on the 17th,
would therefore be directed against the North XYest
flank o,f the ood, and would be ruade by ourselves and
the 139th Brigade, while the Staffo,rdshires ruade a
frontal display. The French, on the vight, xvere making
a similar movement, and there ould be a general
attack North of us. It vas hcped that by the end of
the day, or befcre if possible, the Frenc,h and ourselves
would me,e,t on the Eas.t side o.f the vods at Mennevret,
and so cut off anv Germans xho remained on the
Staffordsh.ires' front. The actual objective for the
Brigade w.as the saine Regnicourt road up which the
Left hall Battafion had advanced on t.he llth; this vas
tobe taken by the oher two Battaioas, while we were
kept in reserve near Vaux Andigny.
The usual rec.onnaissances were carried out on the
15th, and the f, ollowing morning the cus.tomary distribu-
tion o,f bombs, flares, rocke,ts and oher warlike
paraphernalia took place. This vas donc with great
regt»larity belote eve.ry battle, and yet oe reaching an
objective we co.uld never find the required rockets. The
men carr.ving them seemed i.nvariably to become
easualties. It was the saine with equipment and other
n'eces.sariesxe started the dav with everything and
ended vith nothing. A verv welcoe issue was the
nev map o,f Riquerval XVoeds, ruade from the most

35Z THE F1FTH LE1CESTERSH1RE.

recent aeroplane phoEographs, and accurate; the old
one, co.mpiled from a p.re-war survey, still sho.wed a
thick forest the groun.d where the Boche had cut do.wn
every vestige of a tree, and its inaccuracies in this
respect had been one of out greatest difficul.ties in the
previous battle. Vvïth the map came an issue of
officers, rive reporting during the afternoo% but as they
were al,l new 1o the Battalio.n, they remained with the
.Stores.
Otlr match to the Assemblv position was tedious, but
we were not xvorried at all by the enemy, for, to avoid
Bol»ain, which was at this rime frequently shelled, a
track h,ad been taped o,ut across oounqcry. As we xvere
the first 1o use t.his, we escaped the usual slipping and
ploughing through mud, which are a bad feature of
most tracks in autumn. Lexis Gun limbers and Tool
carts went by the ro.ad and reached the Andigny-
Becquigny Railway line---out as,semblv position--before
us, so that as each Platoon arrived it was able to collect
its guns and to.ols and more straight t,o its position.
rvVe rapidly dug ourselves some excellent cover, and
were able to take no notice of some four point twos
wlich arrived during the night, though the other two
Battalions, who had to assemble near the Andigny Road,
suffered fairly heavily.
At 5-20 a.m. on the 17th the barrage .opened and the
battle began in a mist, which was rhicker even than
usual. Many Tanks accompanied by the Highl.anders
of the 1st Division, came through our position and
passed doxn the hill towards Andigny, but of out ox'n
Brigade we could sec nothing, and could only judge by
the lesseni.ng of the enemv's machine gun tire, that the
attack was successful. It must be admitted that our

THE L.\ST FIGHT.

attention was somewhat distrac, ted by the appearance of
a hare, rather frightened bv a Tank, and we forgot the
battle to give chase. It was a short but exciting run,
and the victim was finallv donc to death by "D "
Co,mpany and pro'ide.d the Serjean,ts xvith a good
dinner. It was n.ot m»til 10-0 a.m. that we first learnt
ho,w the attackers had fared. On th,e right o,ur Brigade
had taken their Regnic.ourt road objective, but in the
fog several posts of the German fro,nt line had been
missed and xveve still causing trouble, preven.ting the
complete capture of the village of Andigny les Fermes,
the left of out objective. In the saine wav the 6th
Division had missed posts in the two fatras Gobelets and
Bell.evue on their front, and we wer, e o.rdered to send
two companies to clean up these places and generally
a,ssist wit'h the left of the attack. A few minutes later,
however, this order was caneelled, as the 5th Lincoln-
shires and 6th Division beh repo.rted that they no.w
held ail objectives. Ins.tead, "B" Company (Pierrepo,nt)
and "C " Company (Banwell) were placed at the
disposal of Colon'el \Vilson o.f the 5th Lincolnshires,
to exploi,t h, is success and pa,trol the Mennevret
road to meet th-e Fre-nch, and at 11-30 a.m. these two
Companies moved off to the old Ge.rman front line and
waited there for ins.tructions. Col. Vilso,n de¢ided to
use one Co,mpany o,nly, and at 2-0 p.m. Capt. Pierre-
pont moved his Headquarters into Andigny les Fermes
and sent off a strong patrol under 2nd Lieut. Davies
towards Mennevret. As the enemv was still holding
the woods in considerable strength, and the first toile of
the road was under direct observation, the patrol met
with heavv machine-gun tire at once, and 2nd Lieut.
Davies return'ed for the rime, preparing to make ano,th, er

356 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

attempt when the advance of the l)ivisi.ons on our left
had ruade i.t impos.sible for the Boche t.o remain in his
pcsi.ti,ons near the E. edge of the village. Hall "A "
Company had alreadv been attached to the 4th
Leicestershires for carrying w,ork, so that we had now
onlv "D " Company (Hawley) and the remainder o.f
" A " Company uith Battalion Headquarters. No more
orders came for us, and during the afternoon, as the
sounds of war had become more and more distant,
Cavalrv and \Vhippets had disappeared Eastwards and
there was nothing to do, we lav and basked in the sun,
which was verv hot and pleasant.
At 6-0 p.m., just as the Boche started to tire gas
shells in.to the valley up which ail troops had to pass
to reach Andigny les Fermes, orders came that we
s'huld take o.ver the Brigade fron'.t. Acçordingly, " A "
and " i)" Çompanies were sent to rel.ieve the 4th
Battalion on the righ.t, "C " Copany xvas made
responsible for Andigny les Fermes, and the extreme
left was held bv " B " Company, whose du-tv it s.till was
to find the French. The relief in the village might have
been a verv lengthy and difficu.l.t proceeding had hot
Capt. Nichols, of the Lincolnshires, taken great trouble
to co-ordinate the work of all their three Companies,
and so been able to hand o'er to Captain Banwell a
slngle complete scheme of de.fence. OŒElr Headquarters
moved into the sunken road between Regnicourt and
Vatix Andigny. h was a dark, foggy and bi,tterly cold
night, and, experts as we had now become in the art of
living in banks and s.unken roads, still it was impossible
to be c,omf,ortable, and German wat.erproof sheets spread
over Mots cut in the banks, fa[led mos.t miserably to
keep us warm. Transport arlived b.efo.re midnigh,t and

THE LAST FIGHT. 357

the drivers, as usual, saved us endl,ess carryi«ag parties
bv taking the limbers right up to Ccmpany Hed-
quarters in the village. Thev w,re unmolested by the
enem.v, and nd Lieut. l)avies, seeing this, ruade another
attempt to reach Mennevret. His patrol ruade much
more progress, and was onlv held up at La Nation, a
cross-roads a few hundred yards from hs goal, but here
he met with b.ombs and more machine guns and had
.once more to rail back.
At 1-0 a.m., the 18th, we were order.ed to take over
the line on the East .ide of the village from a Battalion
of the 1st Division, who had rel.ieved the 6th Division
and were now on out left flank. For this purpose the
1.ucklcss "D " Company, who had just settled do.wn
after relieving the 4th Battalion, had to re.ove across
out front and take over the new line, which consisted of
four large shell hol.es and a shallow sunken lan.e. In
spite of the diliculties of darkness and fog, relief was
complete before dawn when the 1st Division m:oved
fornvard towards \Vassigny, and we were able to look
round out ne«v sector. \Ve round a gh.as,tly relie in the
sunken lan.e where a Gexman cooks' wag,on had been hit
bv one of out shclls as it tried to escape, and now, in the
earlv morning light, the scattered remains of wagon,
horss a.nd cooks, ail smashed up, were a horrible sight.
At las, at 5-30 a.m., -°nd Lieut. 1)avies and Serit.
\Vhitxorth met the French near M¢nnevrt, and after
an enthusiastic exchange of greetings, accompanied bv
much handshaking, arrangemen.ts were ruade for
es.tablis.h,ing a line al.ong the Nation road, and so cutting
ut the other txvo Brigades, who for some time past
had been arguing vig.orously as to whose dutv it was
.o fill th,e gap between ourselves and the French. At

358 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

the saine time a singl.e weak-looking Boche came out of
the noxv complet.ely surrounded Riquerval Vo.od and
surrendered to '" C " Company, into wh.ose cetlar Head-
quavters he was at once escorted. Here, while being
questined by txvo officers, neith.er of wh,oto co.uld speak
German, he abs,ent-mindedly picked up a German
gren;ade which was lying on the flo,or, creating, of
oourse, an immediate disturbance. Rev.oivers appeared
on ail sides, and the visitor's lire was nearly ended, but
as it was reallv absent-mindedness and hot the fightîng
spirit which prompted him, peace was soo restored,
and he explained that there were "4 others who wished
fo surrender. He wanted to go back and fetch them,
and seemed in fact quite pa.ined when we would hot let
him and sent him down i.nstead. A few minutes later
a batterv of 8in. howitzers with tracto,rs and moto,r
l.orries came along the main road as far as the end of
the village, having been told that the road was ctear up
to Andigny les Fermes. The Colonel of R.G.A. who
commanded was surprised to hear of the "2t Boche, who
for ail we knew might be within 100 vards of his lorries,
but instead of withdrawing for the time, h.e set off with
Çapt. Banwell into the woods to look for them, happy
as a sch,oolbm" engaged ,in some forbidden adventure.
Thev f.ound n.o one, but probably, il: there xvere any at
ail, they had bv this rime surrendered to the Stafford-
s.li res.
From dawn until 10-30 a.m. the enemv bombarded
our village with ga,s and H.E., and the Brigade Major
(Capt. D. Hill, M.C.) wh,o tried Io go round the front
line posts at this time had an unpleasant journey, while,
shortlx" after him, the C.O. and Adjutant were similarlv
treated and had to hurrv in a most undignified manner

THE LAiT F1GHT. B59

through an orchard. However, n'o damage was done,
and, when at middav we were relieved bv the Stafford-
shires, we had had no casualties. As we mar:hed out
past the little group of ho,uses on th,e R.egnicourt Rcad,
where " I)" Company had fought so gallantly on the
llth, the Bur.ial Party were ju»t burying Serjeants
Bradshaw, l)immocks and the others in a little cemetery
whioh had been ruade in one of the cottage gardens,
and thev lie now within a few yards of where they
fell. The rest of the march was a ch,eerful affuir, for
it was a bright afternoon and we were no.t as tired
as usual after a battle. I)rums and Band came out to
meet us, the people o.f Bo,hain greeted us on the way,
and our old fr.icnds in Fresn.ov gave us their customary
warm welcome. Hcre we were a little more crowded
than before, but still had plenty o,f room, and could
lc,ok f.orward to a comfortable rest. The following
day, after a full l)ivis[onal Curch Parade to return
thanks fcr our victories, we were definitelv promised
a fortnight's test, and General Bord and manv others
went home n leave.
For the test of the mo.nth the Battalion remained
in Fresnov le Grand, training, refitting, and playing
gaines. Here, Lt.-Col. A. J. Digan, D.S.O., of the
Connaught Rangers came to oomm.and us, and Major
R. N. H.o.lmes, M.C, of the Lincclnshires to be œend
in Command. As we had already Majo,r 1)ver Bennet
and the Adjurant, xvho h.ad " put up " c,rwns before
oing on le,ave, as aspirants for this plition, Majo.r
Holmes was transferred to the 137th Brigade. Lieut.
T. H. Ball returned from leave, and in addition to the
rive, nine o,ther officers arrived, incl.ud.ing Cpt. E. G.
Snai.th, M.C., from the -°/4th Battalio,n, and the two

60 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

" old hands " Lieut. C. S. Allen and 2nd Li.eut. J. A.
Hews,on. Capt. Snaith went to "A " Company, and
the other two became Signalling and InteIllgence
officers r.espectively as soon as active operatfi,ons began
again. Out work consisted of steady drill, musketry
and, in tbe evenings, lectures, the best of whioh xvere
(3ol. Jerram's on the '" Royal Nav.v," and the Brigade
Interpreter M. l)ovet's on " French .oErmv Lire," the
latter xvas particularly interesting. The Drums now
under Serjt. l)rummer Price perf.orm.ed cn everv
possible occasion, and ruade an excellent display with
the two new Teno,r Drums which had arrived during
the fighting, and now appeared in public fcr the firs,t
rime. The weat-h.er th.rcughout the fo.rtnight xvas hot
perfect, but might bave been far xvorse, and we were
able to play gaines almost everv afternoon. Out
fixtures included txv fco,tball match.es against the
French. The first, at Seboncourt, was against the 55th
Infantry, xvhose liaison platoon had doe such splendid
w.ork at ILiquerval, and tbe gaine, thanks to the efforts
of Start and Corporal Shirlev Hubbard, ended in a
victory, 5-1--a fact xvbich merelv increased tbe fervour
of the welcome we received frcm our opponents. A
fexv davs l.ater some French sappers came to play us
at Fres.noy, and they, too, were defeated, 5-0, in an
excellent gaine xvatched bv manv people. The language
on both these occasions would sound as foreign in
London as in Paris, but riais did n,ct in the least diminish
the cordialitv of the Entente. In tIfis wav tbe fortnight
soon passed, and on November 1st xve left Fresnov.
Our firs.t more xxas to Becquigny, xvbere we arrived
soon after midday, and found go0d bill.ets xvith plenty
of accommodation. In the evening, orders came that

THE LAST FIGHT. 36I

at an early date the IXth. Corps, with 1st and 3"2nd
Divis,ions in front and 46th in Reserve, would attack
the German positions cn the Sambre- Oise Canal, which
had been holding out for th.e past ten days. The next
dav the otficers rode thro.ugh Molain to Ribeauville and,
leaving lorses there, reconnoitred an assemblv pos,ition
North of Mazinghien. The C.O. and Company C,o.m-
manders then went foward and reconn)i,tred a second
position near Rejet de Beaulicu, about 1,000 vards
XVes,t of the Ca.nal. On the 3rd, ordcrs arrived for
the attack to take place the follow.ing morning, and at
5-0 p.m. we moved off in pouring rain thr, ough Vaux
And,igny to a bivouac pos,ition near the Railway
North of Molain--a bad match, for the roads were
verv muddv and hopelessly congested with traPfic, and
the re.en heavilv laden. It raied hard ail night, but a
small house for Headquarters, and the usual tcnts and
" bivvie " sheets kept out some of the wet, and we
should have bcen far wo.rse in the opeç. Unfortunately,
2nd Lieut. J. A. Hewson, wh.o had never reallv re-
covered from his gass.ing in Mav and had returned
belote he was fit, had to leave us, unable to stand the
exposure in such weather. It was verv bad luck, for
there was never a keener officer.
At 3--t5 a.m., the Jth, the battle began, and we fell
in ou-tside Headquarters, having previously had hot
breakfasts and dis.tributed large numbers of bornbs
and flares, also a generous supply of sickles and bill
h.ooks, as the country was reported to be full of
hedges. We marched at once to out first assemblv
position, Mazinghien, and at midday, as the battle
reports were good, moved forxx-ard again, passing the
Brigadier h the village; he seemed verv cheerful, and

(J2 THE F1FTH LE1CESTERSH1RE.

we saw several droves of Germ,an prisners, so con-
duded th.at everything must be satis,facto.ry. In order
to avoid the main roads, the C.O. led us round to
Beaulieu by a field track which he had reconnoitred;
u,lfortunatelv the night's tain had ruade the going verv
heavy, and this hot onlv tired the men, who xvere
heavilv laden, but als.o proved diflicult for the limbers,
several o.f which s,tuck and had to be man-handled.
At Beaulieu we had dinners and rested xvhile parties
rcc,onnoitred the Canal crossings and disto,vered various
ponto,on bridges built by the Engineers soon after the
attack. As no orders came, we waited he.re until s,oon
after 3-0 p.m., when we were sen, t forward to support
the 2n.d Brigade o.n the right flank o,f the advance.
The C.O. with the right h.alf Battal.ion crossed the
Canal opposite Bois L'Abbaye, and pushed on into the
village untroubled bv shell tire, which was at the time
mostlv directed against the left hall Battalion, xvhich,
with Battalion Headquarters, crossed further S.outh.
The country beyond was verv thick, and by the time
the left Co,mpanies reached L'Ermitage it was almost
dark, and consequently commurications were difficult
between the two hall Battalions, more particularly as
the C.O. was separated fvo.m his runners and signallers.
The Companies at L'Ermitage dug themselves in and
were fairly comf.ortable, but they xvere n,ot destined
to remain so for long, fo,r orders soon came that they
would relieve the 2nd Brigade. These orders, however,
were can«elled belote being sent out, and instead the
Brigade was ordered to relieve the 1st Brigade, who
were on the left. T.he reason for this was that the
32n.d Division, wb_o xvere on the left off the Co,rps
attack, had n,ot yet reported the capture o.f all o,bjee-

THE LAqT FIGHT. 363

rives, and it was consequently necessary to secure the
1st Divisi.on's left flank. "Vhile, theref,o/re, the other
txvo Battations took over the line faci.ng East, we fo.und
a defensive flank facing No.rth--th.e Battalion being
orga.nized in depth on a single Co,mpany front. "A "
Company (Snaith), with "B " Gompany (Pierrepont)
in ctose support, was a few yards South of the main
Carillon- La Groise Road; beh.ind them came " C"
Company (Banwell), while Battali.on Headquarters and
"D " Company (T. Ball) rem,ained in Bois L'Abbaye.
These posi,tions we occupied ail n,ight.
At dawn the following dav the advance was con-
tin.ued bv the laTth and 139th Brigades who passed
through us, but, as the .'}'-'nd Iivision had still no
defin,ite in.formation, we maintained out defensive flank
position--a ludicFous performance in view of the
streams of unmolested traflqc which passed along the
road in fmqt of us. Later in the morning, however,
" B" and "C " Companies were sen¢ fo,rv«ard to
occupy the line that the Lincolnsh, ires had held during
the night, where they round n.o covm" exce.pt one large
farm h.o,use whlch the Boche was shelling heavilv. It
xvas ra,ining hard, and for some time they sat in the
fields hopi,ng for the tain or the shelling to stop; the
latter did eventuallv cease, but n,ot until a large shell
had goe t1rough the roo* of the farm louse, making
it uninhabitable. During the afterno,on the weather
became s,o appalling that thev ail moved into bouses in
Mezières an,d spent the night there, while the remainder
of the Battalio,n corteentrated in Bois L'Abbaye.
The bettle still wen.t oen the next da 3" in the pouring
rain, and o.ur Brigade moved slowly forward in
Divisional support, halting for d.inners at Erruart, and

364 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

reaching Prisches l.ate in the aftelnoo.n ; our onlv
excitement throughout the da), xas to watch a batterv
of 60 pounders get ino difificulties in a muddy field. At
l'risches we learnt that Cartignies had been cleared bv
the oher Brigades, a«ad we were accordingly ordered to
re,ove up at once and take over the outpost line xvhich
was no«v just Vest of the Petite Helpe river. We
m.ov,ed off in fours a,o.ng the road, and in the same
formation marched i.nto Cartig, n,ies, a village full of
civilian.s and blazing with lighvs, although a German
machine gun less than 400 vards a«vay kept sending
b.ullets over the main street. No one seemed verv
certa.i.n xvhe.re the ou.tposts were, nor who was respon-
sible, so we m,ou.nted some sentries in the best positions
we could find, an,d soon after m.idn.igh.t Colonel I)igan,
who. had been to Brigade Headquarters, held a con-
ference and explained the next dav's plan of attack.
It was aow obvious that the Boche wa.s in full retreat.
The weather the next day, the 7th of November, was
fiortu.nate.lv much better, a.nd xve rnoved down to the
Petite Helpe soon af.ter dawn. Pa.trols had been out
duting the night to look for cros,sing's, but bevond
reporfing that the main road bridge la.ad been blown
up, which we alreadv knew, they gathered no informa-
tion of importance, so "C " Compan.v, who were
leading, had to make use of tree trunks and cross as
best thev could. Hovevr, the E'ngineers soon
appeared, and the re,s,t of the Battalion crossed bv a
pon.toon bridge. XVith the French on the right and
Li.ncoln.shires o,n the left, " D " C;ompany (T. Ball) and
" C " Company (Banwell) now pushed fo.rward rapidl.v,
and in spite of a th,ick mist had socm gained the first
Cxvo objectives and reached the road running North

THE LAST FIGHT. 365

and South through a group of house,s called Cheval
Blanc. Battali,on Headquarters a.nd the right hall
followed, and a,t mi.dday were quartered in a group of
farm houses abou.t 600 yards oErest of Cheval Blanc,
where they were joined bv Capt. Hills, wh,o reCurned
from leave and resumed his duties as Adjutant. As
soon as they had had dinners, " A " C;ompany (Snaith)
and " B " Company (Pierrepo,nt) mo,ved forward so as
to be in closer support to " C " a.nd " D " Compan'ies
respective.ly.
After pa.ssing the seco,nd objective, the leading Com-
pan.ies socm beg'an to meet lith opposition, and a
ma, chine gun cleverly concaled at the next cross-roads
ruade further advance by "C " Company impossible.
As the Linco,lnshires were simi[arly hel.d up on their
left, the tank could n.ot be turned. "D " Company,
ho,wevr, pushed forward further in the mist, and,
th.o,ugh there was plenty .of machine gun tire, it was
unaimed a.nd did n.o damage. The leading Platoon,
un.der 2nd Lieut. Bettles, crossed a valley and s.tarted
to climb the rise beyond, on the top of which thev
expcted to find the main Aves.n.es Rod. Suddenly,
as they burst through a hedge almo,s.t on the road,
they came upon a German fou.r gun field battery--
officers and men standing round their guns, apparently
not expecoEing anv attack, and horse,s tethered near bv.
The plato,on rushed in with bayonets, captured or killed
ail they could find and, led bv 2nd Lieut. Bettles,
das, hed acvoss the road into s,ome h,ouses on t'he far
side, where thev saw some enemv. 2¢d Lieut. Bettle.s
was killed with a pist,ol bullet, but the B.oche were
driven out, a,nd Lieut. B'a,ll came up and started st once
to oo.nso,lidate his captu,red positi.o,n. One officer, 29
xnen and oiht horss were sent down as prisoners.

366 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

" D " Cornpany's position was precarious. Rig'ht
nd left, Gerrnan rn,achine gunners held the main fo.ad,
a.nl shooting along it rn.ade crossing irnpcssible, while
at the srne tirne thev too.k care Io prevent any atternpt
on our part to rn.ove the captured guns. This we round
irnpssible, s,c set about rendring thern usel.ess, and
had alreadv rernoved breach block and sights frorn one
when a eounter attack xvas la.unched frorn the S.outh
Ea.st. This was beaten off, bu.t Lieut. Ball, unable
find trccps on either flaaak and alreadv short o.f arnrnuni-
tin, senr back 2nd Lieut. S. D. Larnrning on a
captured h.orse to ask for help. Beoa-e, hoxvever, he
could return, the e'nerny, intent on recapturing his guns,
rnade txvo more court.ter attacks .in rapid succession, in
the second of vhich, .after l.csing several rnen, including"
B,lton, who had neve,r left his Pltn during four
vears' service, ki'lled and L/Cpl. Thurrnan xvo,unded, the
little is,o,lated party fired the last of its arnrnunition and
h'ad to xvithdraw. The Boche recaptured his battery,
and, a[ter firing ,on.e or two rounds into Cheval Blanc,
took axvay the guns.
At 2-0 p.m., Battalion Headquarters lïaoved up to
Chev.al Blanc, but the attac-king Cornpanies still re-
ported that they were unable to advance, and, to add to
out difficulties, we were n.ot in touch with the French
on out right no.r eould out patrols find anv trace of
thern. On the xvhole of out front the enernv had
pro.bably not more than eight machine guns, but so
cleverly xvere they placed and so xvell xvere thev served
th,at we .tund t impossible to dislodge thern with out
weapons. Artillerv or better still Stokes rnortars would
no doubt h,ave cleared the country very quickly, but
these were nct for ¢he tirne obtainable, so., until thev

THE LAST FIGHT. 367

arrived, (ol. Digan determined to m.ake every effort to
find the F, rench and protet the right flank. Capt.
Pierrepont ,vas ordered to send out frequent patrols
toevards Etroeungt, and, as we n,cw Jaad »o Ba.ttalion
reserve, C;cl. Digan asked f.or txvo Companies o,f the
4th Battalion to help us. These soon arrived, and while
one, Cap.t. Holden's, remained with us at Cheval Blanc,
the ¢)ther, Capt. Scaram.o.xaicz's, took up a defensive
flank position along the Brigade S'o,uthern boundary.
Ai lasL just as it was getting dark, Capt. Pierrepont
repc),rted having round th,e Fren¢h in Etl, oeungt, and so
this flank was now secure, though it had cost us the
Joss .of 2nd Lieut. Bvles and Serjt. Stretton who were
both wounded. In spite of this, the forward Co.mpanies
were still unable to advance, and we rernained in these
position.s ail nigh.t.
In view of the fact tha.t the Boche was n,ow running
awa.v, our casualties during the dav had been heavy,
and the Staff therefore decided on a differert plan for
the next rnorning. The Çavalrv were to cme up at
dawn and we were hot to rnove un, til thev had recon-
noitred the o.untry, so that if thev repo,rted the enernv
still holding out, the Artillerv would be crdered to cover
,o,ur advance with a small barrage. There was n) doubt
that the German retre.at was continuing and that this
was onlv a tempora.ry check, for all night long the
skv Eastxvards was lit up with enorrnous flashes, as
dumps, railways, cvoss-roads and bridges were blown
up. This dernolition ,vas one of the rnost rernarkable
features of the Boche retreat, for h,ardlv a road junction
in the country vas left untouched, while Railways were
so cuningly mined that everv single line had to be
relaid. The consequent delav to our communications

:68 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

was appalling, and though, thanks to the Engineers and
Pi.oneers, o.ur ls:t line Transport alwavs reached us bv
the evening, and field batteries advanced almst as
quickly as we did, vet out heavv Artillery was davs
behind us, and there was alwavs a shrtage of
ammunition.
As ordered, the Sc.ots Greys' patrols rode through out
lines at dawn the next da),, Novem.ber 8th, and found
the enernv's machine gtlns still verv active in the saine
positions. The barrage was therefore arranged, and,
covered bv these verv few shells, "A" and "B"
Companies pus.hed forward, onlv to find that the Boche
took as little notice of the barrage as he did o.f our
rifle tire. Osa the left, as before, the at.ack was soon
held up, this tirne with considerable loss to us, for the
Boche allowed "A " Company t.o corne close to his
guns before opening tire. V'hen he did, 2nd Lieut.
Colesnan and ten rnen were wounded and three rnen
killed, and thougb the others marie a rnost gallant
attempt t rush the enemv with the bayone,t, they were
held up bv hedges, and compelled to dig in once more
and wait. On the right, h.o,wever, we had be,tter
fortune. 2nd Lieut. Davies and the leading platoon of
"'B " Co.mpany reached the Avesnes main road, and
in spite of verv heavv machine gun tire rnanaged one
bv one to make their w.ay acro.ss. Once on the far side,
lhls Platoon Commander, ablv helped bv L/Cpl. Sharpe,
Pte. Beaver and others, so.on worked his way from
house to bouse until at 11-0 a.m. the Boche, finding
we had a firm hold on the main road, withdrexv M1 his
guns. 'Vhile this took place, Colonel Jerram from
Divlsional Headquarters visited us, bringing the news
that the German envoys asking for an Armistice had
been taken th.ro.ugh the French lines.

THE LAST FIGHT. 369

As soon as they found the Germ.an.s had gone, the
leading Co.mpanies pushed rapidly forxvard, with orders
to esLablish an outpos.t line along tbe Zorees-Semeries
road as s.oon as possible, in which position we were
told we woul.d be relieved bv the 137,th Brigade. At
the saine time, " I)" Company moved into the ho.uses
on the Avesnes road near where they had captured and
lost their batte.ry, and "C " Company occupied the
farm house wlich had held them up so long, being
welcom.ed with cofl'ee and cognac bv the in,habitants, who
had remained in the cellar. .\ troo.p of Scots Greys
xvas a.lso attached to us t,o act as m.ounted orderlies, a
task which up to the present had been verv efficiently
performed bv our grooms--Huntingt, on, Dennis, Rogers
and others. At dusk, as the leading Cornpanies were
with.in a few hund.red yards of the Zorees road,
Battalio.n Headquarters and "C " Cornpany mo.ved to
the c.ro.ss roads on the Avesnes road, and occupied a
large farm, where the two. attached /th Leices.tershire
Cmpanies were also billeted. Except for distant ex-
pl.osion.s in the East, it was a quiet night, and the M.O.,
Ca,pt. Aylward, to prove we were reallv winning the
war, solemnly went to bed in pyiamas regardless of the
proximity of the enemy. Soon after midnight, "B "
Cornpany reached their oetpost line, and a¢ 7-0 a.m.
the folloxx-ing mrning, "A " Com.pany were also in
position, and we sent off Lieut. Ashd.wne to billet for
us in the area to which we were told we shouid go as
soon as relieved.
The country here was in a pitlable state, fo,r the
Germans as thev retired carried off everything--live-
stock, vehicles, ail food, and most .of the mme popula-
tion. The civilians that were left behind took refuge

370 THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

in t,he cellars during the fightin,g, coming out as soon
.as the Boche had gone, and bestowing, kisses and cups
of coffe.e with great liberalitv ,on the leading platoons
as they entered eftch farm house or hamlet. The feeding
of all these people had to be undevtaken bv the British
Army, an,d as our advance continued the French Mission
were kept very busily employed.
The Briga,de ,relief was alre.adv in progress when, at
10-0 a.m., Novembe.r 9th, it was cancelled, and instead
we were ordered to push forward at once and establ.ish
a new o,utpost line East of Sa,ins du No,rd--a small
town through which the Cavalrv had passed in tbe
morning. The right hall Battalion was orde,red t,o con-
centrate in Zorees, while the re.st of us with the two
Gompanies of the th Batt.alion formed up .near Battalion
Headquarters, had d.inners, and at 2-15 p.m. moved off.
As we did .o, an amusing inciden.t ,ocurred. A certain
C;ompany Gommander, picking up his box respir,tor,
round that he had thrown it off into a patch of filth;
,oepi.ous oaths followed, and he vo.wed that he would
murder the next Boche he sw. Some half hour later,
as w.e ente-ed Zorees, a cyclist patrol met us, escorting
one undersized little prisner, spl.ay footed and be-
spectacled. The Co,mpany was delighted, and with
one accord hailed their Commander with cries of
" Noxv's your chance, Sir." No other enemy were
seen, and we marched straight into Sains bv the Rail-
way s.tation, to receive a welcome from the civilians.
which rivalled even F.resnoy in ccrdialitv. Thev
thronged the streets with flags and great bunches of
chrysanthemums which they showered .upon us, so that
'bv the time we reached the Mairie we looked like a
walkin.g flower showwevery man having a flower in his

THE LAST FIGHT. 371

hat. The 4th Battalio,n Co,mpa.ties round the outposts,
and xve billeted in a large factory w, hich had been used
as a Hospital, vhile Battalion and Company Head-
quarters occupied vrious magnificert Chateaux.
Th,roughout the following day, N,ovember 10th, we
remained inactive, unable to more because cur supplles
ard rear communicati,on,s could not mo.ve at our pace
owig to the G,erman demolition,s. AIl day l,ong rep.o,rts
came in from the East showing the hopeless state
confusion to which the German Army had corne.
Civilians told us of Artille.ry drawn by cows, airmen
repo.rted roads congested with traffic and co.lumns of
troops, it really l,oo,ked as though at 1.ast we should
have a chance of delivering a cru.shing blow. Late
th, at night came th.e telegram ending ho,s.tilities, and the
chance was gone for ever.

CHAPTER XX.

HOME AGAIN.

ILth Nov., 1918. 28th June, 1919
FOR the first feȍ daxs after the sigring o,f the
Armistice xçe remained in Sai.ns, the outpost line as
main.tained, roads to the Eas,t x, ere rec.o.noitred, and
ever.xthing xas ruade re'ad» for a resumpti.o of
hos.titities. Bu.t if was soon obvi.ous that the Germans
had no more figh.t in them, and out on,ly interest »as in
whether or no x*e s.hould form part og the Arm) of
Occupation. [t xas kn, on that the 4:th Armv was
going to German., and some o.f us hoped to go xith
it, but it xças no.t to be, and we ere transferred to the
:]rd Armx, XI[Ith. Corps. ,Vhen »e »ent, General
Rahnson, genuindy sort» o lose us from his Arm.x,
expressed his a.ppredation of out services during the
past th.ree months, in a fare»dl ferrer, copies of which
»ere given fo ail ranks. Soon after out trnsfer, e
mo»ed to the Landrecies area, and x»ent into billets in
the dirtv little tc»,n of Bousies.
Out duties were no-x threefold--to clean up France,
to get demobilised, and to amuse cmrselves in out spare
rime. Cleaning up was a gigan.tic and not verv pleasant
task, for i't mean,t filling up shell h.oles, eollecting empt?
bullx-be.ef tins, and generally becoming scavengers.
Demobilisa.tion, though more co,ngeial, as at first

HOME AGAIN. 373

inclined to be slow, and it was with considerable
annoyance that ve saw among the first to go, .young
men who had ioined us since the Armistice, because
thev vere " pivotal." Coal-miners were soon called
for, and under this heading we lost manv of our oldest
and best soldiers, so that by Christm.as the Battali.on
vas n,o longer the saine. To amuse us, various sports
meetings were arranged--a,ll rather hampered bv tbe
weather, though ve managed to gain much credit in
football and running, while the l)ivisional Rugby foot-
ball si.de w.o'n flac Corps Championtship. In these gaines
ve were luckv 1o have the assistan,ce of a new Padre,
the Rev. H. I'. XValton, who came to take the place
of Padre Buck. Concert parties beoame more
numerous, and, in addition to the " V'hizzbangs," who
worked verv hard, the Brigade had a show of their
own, kn.oaxn as tB.e " 13,q's."
Vbile at Bousies we marched one Sunday to l.an-
drecie.s, where H.M. the King paid a visit. It was an
informal affair, no guard of honour and no lining the
road, and nne o.f us will ever forget the scene. The
King of England followed bv his otîicers, ail on foot,
walking down the little street of the old French town,
while both payements were packed with soldiers and
French civilians, who cheered, skcuted, sang and
rusbed into the roa.d to gain a nearer view of His
Maiesty.
In Janua,ry we moved to Pommereuil, a clean little
village, where Mavor and people did their utmost to
make us comfortable. Here, under the n.ew scheme,
demobilisation became more rapid, and the older soldiers
were sent home in considerati.on of their ser'ice. We
also learnt for the firs't rime that the Battalion was to

îz$ THE FIFTH LEICESTERSHIRE.

be reduced to a Cadre, and all sholît service or retainable
soldiers would be sent to the l lth Battali,n on the
Rhine. Before this last more could take place, xxe
moved again--to Solesmes, where we stayed for a
fortnigh.t and then moved to St. Hilaire. A new feature
was now introduced in the " amusements " department,
which was much appreciated bv all of u.s. Once o.r twice
a week we were given one or two motor lorries to take
pavtie t.o Douai, Valencenlaes or the recent battle(ields.
We had manv pleas.ant trips, and saxv several towns
in France which we sho.uld never otherwise have seen.
At St. Hilaire the C.O. left 1.1s t,o rejoin the Co.nnaught
Rangers, and we were reduced to a Cadre, consisfing of
rive officers, fortv-six men and th.e C.lours. A large
draft of 200 all ranks, with Lieuts. Steel, .\shdowne,
Todd, Dunlo.p, Ar.vle and other officers who voun-
teered for fmïther service, went to the l lth Battalion,
and the rest were demobilised. The Cadre was chosen
so as to include as far as possible V.O.'s, N.C.O.'s,
and men of long and distinguished service, who would
form a suitable guard for the Colours ; at tJae saine time
we IMed to bave representatives of each o,f the larger
t.owns in Leice.stershire, and in th'ls we were successful.
In April we moved to Inchv Beaumon.t, where we
stayed until the Cadre finally went home in June.
\Vagons and M1 transpo,rt were sent to C.udry, and we
se:tled down to a wearisome existence, having to.o little
to d.o. Cricket succeeded football, and xve beat the
4th Battalion at both, and had several o.ther victories.
Finally, on the 28th o.f June, leaving Capt. Nich.olson,
2nd Lieut. Griffiths, R.Q.M.S. Gorse and 11 o.thers with
the stores, the remnant of the B.aali<)n sailed for
England, landed at Dover, and reached Leicester the

HOlXl E AG.\IN. 375

s.am,e n.ight. The next day the Mav,r (Ald. C;oltman)
and people of Loughbo,rough turned o,ut to give us
welcome, and out long mon.ths of waitin,g in France
were soon forgotten in th.e ferv, our and enthusiasm of
the greeting we received, as we marched thro,ugh the
old ton and placed out Colom's in the Hall. Six
weeks later t'he baggage guard returned, and the
Ba,tt.alion wa.s finallv disembodied.

376

I'I'ENDIX 1.

OFFI('FR.q VH() .qAILED TO FRAN('E ,VITH THE IxE(,I.XlENT
FEBRt'aRV, 1915.

Lieut. Colonel C. ll. Joues.
Major R. E. Martin.
('aptain and Adjutant W. T. Bromfield.

"A" COMPANY.
Major W. S. N. Toller.
Captain P. C. J. R. Rawdon
Hastings.
Lieut. A. T. Sharpe (Machine
Gun Officer).
Lieut. J. D. A. Vincent.
2nd Lieut. D. B. Petch.
2nd Lieut. J. W. Tomsou.

'" C " COMPANY.
Captain T. C. 1 a. Bea,sley.
Captain ('. Bland.
Lieut. R. D. Faxmer.
2nd Lieut. G. Aked.
2nd. Lieut. G. W. Allen.
2nd Lieut. R. Ward Jackson.

"" B "' COMPANY.
Cal)tain J. L. Griffiths.
Lieut. A. F. Marsh.
Lieut. E. G. I angdale.
2nd Lieut. C. H. F. Wollaston.
2nd Lieut. ('. W. Selwyn.
2nd Lieut. }L 13. Farrer.

" D "" COMPANY.
t'aptain H. J. F. Jeffries.
Cal)tain J. Chapman.
Lieut. A. G. de A. Mo.ore.
2nd Lieut. R. C. L. Mould.
2nd Lieut. C. R. Kn, ighton.
2nd Lieut. J. D. Hills.

Transport Officer
Quartermaster
Medical Officer

... Lieut. J. Burnett.
......... Lieut. A. A. Wor]ey.
... Lieut. G. ]q. H. Manfield, R.A.M.C.

AI'PENI)IX II.

377

HONOURS.

Lieut.

J. c. BARRETT.--Pontruet, Sept. 2tth, lgl,q.

D.S.O.
W. S. N. To.ller. J.L. Griflïts.

M.C. ,': BAI.
. B. WilliaJs. D.B. Pe.tch.
G. E. Banwell. J.D. Hills.

A. G. de A. Moore. A.E. Brodribb.
M. H. Baron. W.B. Jack.
t'. H. F. Wll,aston. C.B.W. Buck.
A. N. Barrowcliffe. S. (L H. Steel.
T. P. Creed. A.E. Hawley.
J. B. Broo,ke. K. A,hdowne.
R. H. Sten, tiford. T.H. Ball.
C. F. Sh,ields. S.D. Lamming
W. ]I. Cole. C.H. Davies.

T. Tunks. A. Wilbur.

H. G. Sta'buck. A. Pas.more.
W. H. Hallaln. J.B. Wedr.
R. E. Small. I'. W. Jordan.
.l. Emmerson. P. Lane.
C. Iturley. W. Toon.
E. M. Hewson. J. Waa-dle.
J. Hill. lt. G. Lo.vett.
T. Needham. J. Coo,per.
A. Bl'ooks. W. Hubbard.
M.M. & TWO BARS.
T. 5[ea'ston.
M.M. & BAR.
$. Burbidge. W. Lilley.
R. Downs. F.W. Gorf.
A. Thurman.

H. G. Lovett.
D.Ç.M. & BAR.

D.C.M.

C.M.G.
C. H. Jones. R.E. Martin.

378

J. T. Knott. R. Hollingswoïth. k. Hewerdine.
W. A. Berridge. A.W. Martin. W. Smith.
H. Beardmore. J.W. Tookey. G.W. Tomblin.
G. A. Bent. H.W. Stone. L.F. Crocker.
W. Braybrook. T. Andrews. E. Cooper.
F. Cl,apham. D. Mackey. H. Edge.
E. Diggle. H. Whitmore. W. Mouldsworth.
E. Foulds. G.O. Pickles. S.W. TayloT.
1. Goodman. .¥. Raven. W. Orton.
C. B. Love. .I.H. Bullen. W. Powell.
M. O'Brien. H. Cato. A. Dnniels.
W. Pickering. .A.H. Culpin. .L Coles.
T. Slaynaker. A.E. Palmer. A. Holmes.
B. Staniforth. A. Baker. R.B. Haynes.
T. H,wkeswo,rt3. P.P. Pymm. G. Emmitt.
F. Eastwood. E.R. Smith. G. Bedford.
A. P,ssmore. W. Bennett. F. Smith.
,l. Meakin. ,l. Balderstone. P. Thompson.
T. Maa'sh,ll. H. Poll.ard. .l.H. Gaunter.
H. Dawes. J. Ryder. F. Bindley.
A. Carr. T. Starhuck. L.H. Fortnum.
,l. T. Allen. .L Hyden. R. Redden.
E. V. Woolley. :S. G. Barber. A. ,h,axpe.
E. Crow. F. Blo.odworth. A. Beaver.
J. W. Putt. A. Wedge. H. Shepherd.
A. Hickling. ,. Dawso. T. Parker.
W. E. Lester. H.B. Garrett. A. Randall.
. Satchwell.

$. Cooper.
W. Fa.irbrother.

M.S.M.
H. Foster. ,l. H. Robinson.
R. Go'se. N. Yeabsley.
C. F. Ba.iley.

MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES.

C. H. Sortes (2).
W. S. N. Toller.
W. TE. Bromfield.
J. L. Griffiths (2).
E. G. Langd.ale.
C. H. F. Wolla,ston.
M. H. Barton.
A. G. de A. More.
$. D. Hills (2).
.l. Burne,t¢ (2).
C. F. Shields.
G. W. Allen.
T. W. Tomson.
W. R. Todd.
F. G. Taylor.

W. Fisher.
H. Swift.
A. A. Archer.
T. Foster.
1% Govse.
W. Aga'.
42. Brown.
A. Hurst.
T. F. Marston.
,l. Lineoln.
l v. ,l. Williamson.

379

FOREIGN DECORATIONS.

FRENCH.
Légion d'Honneur (Officier) C.H. Jones.
Croix de Guerre (with palm) L.H. Peaxson.
Croix de Guerre (with silver
star)
Gug'e
bron'ë
Croix Ce (with
star) .........
Medaille Mil.itairo ...

A. D. Pierrepont J. Whitworth.
J. D. Hills W. Green.
E. Angrave.

Décoration Militaire

BELGIAN.
.... k. Wilbur.

APPENDIX III.

THE CADRE AND EQUIPMENT GUARD.

Major J. D. Hills, M.C.
Captain G. E. Bnwell, M.C.
Captain C. S. Allen.
Captain and Quaa'ternxaster W. A. Nicholson.

2nd Lieu.t.G.H. Griffiths.
R.Q.M.S. Goxse, E. L:('pl. Underwood, A.
Col.-Serjt. Hanson, A.W. ,, Catmter, $.
Corpl. Lincoln, J. Pte. Le.wis, B.
Serjt. Yeabsley, N. ,, Cleu'ke, G. L.
Pte. Hughes, E. Corpl. Baker, A.
,, Ribbons, F. Pte. Deaco.n, W.
,, Rvlings, G. ,, Mo.rley, G.
,, Mutto.n, E. ,, Hunt, G.
,, Nichols, L. L'Cpl. Tookey, J.
,, Hewerdine, A. Pte. Wormleiglton, R.
,, Major, T.O. ,, ,e.ar, W. J.
Bradshaw, R. ,, Myers, J. T.
C'pl. Bartram, E. ,, Godsm.axk, G.
Serjt. Sills, R. Corpl. l%Iead, B.
Pte. Rock, F. L'Cpl. Law, A. B.
,, Webbs, H. ,, Harris, J.
,, Rogers, A.A. Pte. Allon, W.
,, Riley, S. ,, Moul.e, F. T.
,, Beards, A. Corpl. Goss, J.
Brampton, T.C. Pte. Smi.th, E. A.
Si. Rollson, E. ,, Neavers.on, R.
C.Q.M.S. Hurst, A. ,, Haywaxd, J. Il.
Serjt. Sl-aymaker, T. ,, Rtcliffe, G.